What did they say? : how children, families and nurses experience 'care'

The degree to which family-centred care is achieved in paediatric practice varies and is subject to multiple complex influences. As part of a strategy to improve patient care, one paediatric ward participated in a study to elicit how care was experienced by three stakeholder groups. This paper aims to discuss the experiences of care of children, parents and nurses in an acute care setting, highlighting the gap between espoused values of family-centred care and those realized in practice. Semi-structured interviews were used to capture the experiences of the three stakeholder groups in relation to care planning and delivery. Data analysis was managed by means of cognitive mapping. Integration of data from each group on a single cognitive map enabled construction of a community narrative. Three themes emerged from the data: • Relationships • Decision-making • So, what about the nurses? An overarching theme of communication was found to be an integral part of all the themes. The research team are now working in collaboration with the ward nurses to feed back findings and develop ways of using the data to inform clinical practice. Determination of what was real for children, parents and nurses in this setting is enabling staff to improve the way in which care is delivered. Nurses are using the findings in conjunction with continuing opportunities for development to bridge the gap between espoused values of family-centred care and the actual experience of caring and being cared for.