Highlights
- •The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes the need for a child during hospitalization to be heard
- •Exploratory qualitative descriptive research design with semi structured interviews
- •Perceptions and descriptions of nurses that hospitalized children feel are approachable were gleaned
- •Approachable nurses are smiling, happy, easy to talk to, playful, listen, creative and competent
- •Communication between hospitalized children and their nurses creates understanding and promotes respect and dignity
Abstract
Purpose
The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child drew international attention to the
right of a child to be heard. Researchers have enhanced the child’s voice in many
settings, albeit few in the hospital. Nurse researchers investigating the hospital
experiences of children have identified positive and negative patterns of communication.
Potential characteristics of an approachable nurse were hinted at, although none explored
the concept of approachability.
Design and methods
A qualitative, descriptive research design, including semi-structured interviews with
seven school age children (ages 8‐12, four girls and three boys) in a pediatric oncology
service, was used to gain children’s perceptions and descriptions of approachable
nurses. Drawings were used to supplement and glean a greater understanding of descriptive
characteristics. All but one child had endured multiple hospitalizations related to
their diagnosis of cancer. Interviews were recorded and data were content analyzed
using immersion/crystallization and editing organizational styles.
Results
The children had experiences with more than one approachable nurse and described approachable
nurses as smiling and happy, playful, creative, competent and willing to talk and
listen to them.
Conclusion and practice implications
The school age children in this study were able to describe their perceptions of an
approachable nurse. The voices of these children illuminate the importance of nurses’
words and behaviors and provide exemplars of approachable nurses. It can be argued
that the responsibility remains with nurses to create an environment where in hospitalized
children feel their voices are heard, they are understood and respected with unprecedented
dignity.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 03, 2020
Accepted:
May 18,
2020
Received in revised form:
May 18,
2020
Received:
January 6,
2020
Identification
Copyright
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