Nursing the child who is alone in the hospital.

Because of advances in medical technology, many critically burned children now survive horrendous injures that they would not have survived less than 10 years ago. Pediatric burn intensive care unit (BICU) nurses provide around the clock care, giving them greater contact with the children than any other health care professional. Often the children are alone in the hospital because their parents or care providers were injured or killed in the accident, live in another country, or are at home caring for other family members. Thematic analysis of data obtained during 112 hours of interviews and 134 hours of observation with 16 BICU nurses resulted in the identification of four categories of nurses' practices that helped the holistic healing of children who were alone on the BICU of a hospital in the southwestern United States: (a) being a parent-minded nurse; (b) sustaining human connections; (c) receiving the patient as a child; and (d) renewing the spirit of the child.

The inextricable link in caring for families of critically burned children.

Advances in burn care have made recovery possible for children with burns on up to 99% of their body surface, which has prompted investigation of the psychosocial well-being of survivors. Although therapies have been suggested, no researchers have acknowledged or recognized nurses' potential contributions to children's and families' recovery. In this article, the author examines the lived experiences of 16 pediatric nurses on a burn intensive care unit. The purpose of the study was to articulate practices that helped critically burned children to heal holistically. Data showed that while helping burned children to heal holistically, the nurses simultaneously supported families to heal holistically. Nurses were observed laughing, talking, and crying with families, as well as role-modeling ways of being with and caring for the children. These practices illustrated the nurses' understanding that care of the children was inextricably linked to care of the families.

Practices that facilitate critically burned children's holistic healing.

Advances in medical technology have enabled many children to survive injuries that less than 10 years ago would have caused death. The intense physical care and the children's and families' emotional needs place extraordinary demands on pediatric burn nurses. In this article, the author reports the findings of an interpretive study that examined the experiences of 16 pediatric burn intensive care unit nurses for the purpose of uncovering and articulating practices that help critically burned children to heal holistically. Following 112 hours of interviews and 134 hours of observing the nurses while they worked, she identified 12 practices and aggregated them into the theme Healing the Child Within. She observed the nurses laughing, playing, singing, talking, and praying with the children. These everyday practices were for the sake of maintaining or reestablishing harmony of the children's mind, body, and spirit.

Evaluation of an informal peer group experience on baccalaureate nursing students' emotional well-being and professional socialization.

Although studies have documented the importance of the academic environment in promoting positive outcomes among students, few quantitative studies in nursing have been performed to identify strategies through which a nurturing learning environment can be created. A randomized two-group pretest-posttest design was used to investigate effects of an informal peer group experience on baccalaureate nursing students' emotional well-being and professional socialization as caring practitioners. Groups did not differ significantly on the outcomes measured in this study. As a whole, students showed statistically significant increases in anxiety, depression, and negative affect, along with decreased self-esteem and positive affect during the junior year of nursing school. Psychological problems and stress-related symptoms have been well documented among college students in general and professional students in particular. Although the findings from this study are not unique, they suggest the need to reconsider strategies by which the affective and professional socialization goals of undergraduate nursing education can be achieved.

A service-oriented teaching and learning project.

Profound changes in the health care system have heightened nursing educators' awareness about preparing students for the role of health educator to patients and families. To address this concern, senior students in a child and family course developed a teaching and learning (TL) project oriented toward children's and families' distinctive learning needs. With the clinical instructor's guidance, the students sought to create a unique learning activity while still meeting the course's TL objectives. Students gathered information on an array of health topics and determined that a "mini-health fair" for children, families, and professionals using attractive and informative posters and presentations was an effective strategy for disseminating the information. Participants listened to the students' presentations and viewed posters. Pediatric patients enjoyed the interactive learning, families appreciated the take-home informational handouts, and clinicians applauded the professionalism of the student's work. The TL project that was designed to develop students' skills as educators developed into a countywide experience. Students participated in the community's annual health fair and presented to the nursing school's governing board as an exemplar of practice-based teaching. Students were successful when given encouragement and support to create and present TL projects.