Nursing Care Received by Disabled Children During Emergency Admissions

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    An exploration of the views of disabled children and their parents on the extent to which nurses meet their needs during acute emergency and inpatient admissions.

  • IRAS ID

    146363

  • Contact name

    Clare Austen

  • Contact email

    clare.austen@fph-tr.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Surrey

  • Research summary

    The number of children with disabilities is increasing. Children with disabilities account for a higher number of acute emergency admissions and remain as inpatients for a longer period of time, compared to children without disability.
    Current evidence demonstrates that nurses in the acute setting are not meeting the needs of disabled children and their families adequately during these admissions. Recent literature addresses parental and nursing views, but there is little evidence directly from children. Evidence indicates the importance of family centred care, but also that there is an over- reliance by staff on the parents of these children. This includes meeting the child’s additional needs and incorporates communication and nursing care. Parents are delivering most of the personal and nursing care themselves during their child’s hospitalization. This qualitative project proposes the use of semi structured interviews to explore the views of disabled children and their parents regarding the nursing care they received during recent acute hospital admissions. Results will then be presented to focus groups of nursing staff for their reflections and views on how models of care can be improved to this vulnerable group.

  • REC name

    South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    14/SC/1065

  • Date of REC Opinion

    28 Aug 2014

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion