Health Care Providers' Perceptions of Family-centered Care in Pediatrics

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe health care providers' perceptions of family-centered care in pediatrics. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was designed. Data were collected from individual interviews using open-ended questions. Fifty-six pediatric health care providers participated in the study from January to April 2015. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify the major perceptions of pediatric health care providers. RESULTS: The providers perceived that the concept of family-centered care has been incompletely implemented. Five themes (respecting a child's family, taking care of a child with the child's family, sharing information about children, supporting a child's family, a child's family participating in child care) with 11 sub-themes were identified in the providers' experiences with families. To achieve the goal of family-centered care in pediatrics, medical and nursing conditions must be improved, education about family-centered care must be provided, and improvements should be made in the mindset of health care providers regarding patients and in families' willingness to participate in care. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study provide insight into pediatric health care providers' perceptions of family-centered care. It will contribute to the establishment of a foundation for implementing family-centered care in pediatric nursing.