Children as an afterthought during COVID-19: defining a child-inclusive ethical framework for pandemic policymaking.

BACKGROUND: Following the SARS pandemic, jurisdictions around the world began developing ethical resource allocation frameworks for future pandemics-one such framework was developed by Thompson and colleagues. While this framework offers a solid backbone upon which decision-makers can rest assured that their work is driven by rigorous ethical processes and principles, it fails to take into account the nuanced experiences and interests of children and youth (i.e., young people) in a pandemic context. The current COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to re-examine this framework from young people's perspectives, informed by advances in childhood ethics and children's rights. MAIN BODY: In this paper, we revisit the Thompson et al. framework and propose adaptations to the ethical processes and values outlined therein. This work is informed by expertise in clinical ethics and literature related to impacts of COVID-19 and other pandemics on the health and well-being of children around the world, though with particular attention to Canada. During the processes of drafting this work, stakeholders were consulted-aligned with the approach used by Thompson and colleagues-to validate the interpretations provided. We also propose a new principle, namely practicability, to indicate the complex balance between what is possible and what is convenient that is required in ethically sound decisions in the context of services affecting young people. We outline and discuss the strengths and limitations of our work and indicate next steps for scholars in the areas of childhood studies and child health. CONCLUSION: Efforts to ensure frameworks are truly child-inclusive should be the status-quo, so pandemic impacts and policy implications can be considered in advance of emergency preparedness contexts.

TOwards enhancing Paediatric Intensive Care for Children with Medical Complexity (ToPIC CMC): a mixed-methods study protocol using Experience-based Co-design.

INTRODUCTION: Advances in medical technology and postoperative care have led to increased survival of children with medical complexity (CMC). Parents of CMC develop substantial caregiver expertise and familiarity with paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) staff and treatment procedures which may give rise to tensions regarding respective roles, caretaking preferences, treatment goals and expected outcomes. A therapeutic alliance built through strong partnerships constitutes the foundation of patient and family-centred care (PFCC), contributing to improvements in experiences and outcomes. Yet acute care settings continue to struggle with integrating PFCC into practice. This study aims to enhance PFCC for CMC in the PICU using an innovative approach to integrated knowledge translation. METHODS: A mixed-method concurrent triangulation design will be used to develop, implement and evaluate PFCC practice changes for CMC in the PICU. Qualitative data will be collected using an Experience-based Co-design (EBCD) approach. Parents, CMC and staff will reflect on their PICU care experiences (stages 1 and 2), identify priorities for improvement (stage 3), devise strategies to implement changes (stage 4), evaluate practice changes and study process, and disseminate findings (stage 5). The quantitative arm will consist of a prepractice and postpractice change evaluation, compared with a control site. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data will provide insights regarding the impact of PICU practice changes on PFCC. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The McGill University Health Centre Research Ethics Board (Ref. #2019-5021) and the Hospital for Sick Children Research Ethics Board (Ref. #1000063801) approved the study. Knowledge users and researchers will be engaged as partners throughout the study as per our participatory approach. Knowledge products will include a short film featuring themes and video/audio clips from the interviews, recommendations for improvements in care, and presentations for healthcare leaders and clinical teams, in addition to traditional academic outputs such as conference presentations and publications.

Blowing the whistle during the first wave of COVID-19: A case study of Quebec nurses.

The experiences of nurses who blew the whistle during the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed gaps and revealed an urgent need to revisit our understanding of whistleblowing. AIM: The aim was to develop a better understanding of whistleblowing during a pandemic by using the experiences and lessons learned of Quebec nurses who blew the whistle during the first wave of COVID-19 as a case study. More specifically, to explore why and how nurses blew the whistle, what types of wrongdoing triggered their decision to do so and how context shaped the whistleblowing process as well as its consequences (including perceived consequences). DESIGN: The study followed a single-case study design with three embedded units of analysis. METHODS: We used content analysis to analyse 83 news stories and 597 forms posted on a whistleblowing online platform. We also conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with nurses and analysed this data using a thematic analysis approach. Finally, we triangulated the findings. RESULTS: We identified five themes across the case study. (1) During the first wave of COVID-19, Quebec nurses experienced a shifting sense of loyalty and relationship to workplace culture. (2) They witnessed exceedingly high numbers of intersecting wrongdoings amplified by mismanagement and long-standing issues. (3) They reported a lack of trust and transparency; thus, a need for external whistleblowing. (4) They used whistleblowing to reclaim their rights (notably, the right to speak) and build collective solidarity. (5) Finally, they saw whistleblowing as an act of moral courage in the face of a system in crisis. Together, these themes elucidate why and how nurse whistleblowing is different in pandemic times. CONCLUSION: Our findings offer a more nuanced understanding of nurse whistleblowing and address important gaps in knowledge. They also highlight the need to rethink external whistleblowing, develop whistleblowing tools and advocate for whistleblowing protection. IMPACT: In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our foundational understanding of whistleblowing and, as a result, it has limited the usefulness of existing literature on the topic for reasons that will be brought to light in this paper. We believe that studying the uniqueness of whistleblowing during a pandemic can address this gap by describing why and how health care workers blow the whistle during a pandemic and situating this experience within a broader social, political, organizational context.

Pandemic Impacts for Indigenous Children and Youth Within Canada: An Ethical Analysis

In response to new and exacerbated challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous children and youth in Canada have developed innovative and holistic solutions to amplify their voices, continue cultural engagement and combat social isolation for themselves and their communities as a whole. In this analysis, we have selected three Indigenous philosophical tenets as an ethical orientation for discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the well-being of Indigenous young people. The guiding values of interconnected relationships, holism and Indigenous-informed restorative justice help us interpret existing pandemic-specific literature and identify, define and prioritize considerations of child and youth well-being from an Indigenous-centred worldview. This analysis can (a) help inform future pandemic measures affecting Indigenous young people and (b) foster similar considerations for Indigenous communities in other regions of the world.