Abstract

GONZALEZ VILLANUEVA, Purificación. Barriers for the care and communication in pediatrics intensive care. Index Enferm [online]. 2009, vol.18, n.4, pp.234-238. ISSN 1699-5988.

The purpose of this investigation was to describe, understand and interpret the knowledge and experiences of children between 6 and 12 years old in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The quantitative methodology used has been to study the cases from an ethnographic point of view. Data has been collected in a four level* hospital of Madrid and in the homes of the children by using participating witnessing and semistructured interviews with two girls and a child, their families, PICU professionals and a nurse of the pediatrics section of the hospital. Among the results, the barriers for the care and communication is one of the topics that have turn out related to the main subject of the study: the physical and emotional suffering of children. Part of the conclusions show us that there is a tendency to consider children as passive persons. No value is given nor taken any profit of their capacity to understand what is happening to themselves and express it; to interchange ideas and opinions about their welfare, their health situation and participation in their care. Parents and families keep themselves in a second plane. (*Translator's Note: A Class 4 hospital denotes a facility providing all medical specialties and services)

Keywords : Child hospitalized; need; fear; own experience; nursing; intensive care; critical care; coping; psychology intensive care; adaptation.