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Metas de Enfermería

Metas de Enfermería

JUNIO 2011 N° 5 Volumen 14

The impact of the parent’s presence on the fears of children subjected to nursing techniques

Section: Cover story

How to quote

Sampol Granés X et ál. Impacto de la presencia de los padres en el miedo de niños sometidos a técnicas de Enfermería. Metas de Enferm jun 2011; 14(5): 26-30

Authors

1Xavier Sampol Granés, 1Aurora Fontova Almato, 2Lluis Benejam Vidal

Position

1Enfermero/a del Servicio de Urgencias del Hospital de Figueres. 2Biólogo e investigador post-DOC. CEBCAT. Universidad de Girona.

Contact address

Xavier Sampol Granés. C/ Pere III, 112. 17600 Figueres, Girona.

Contact email: xavi_sampol@hotmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to assess the impact of the parent’s presence on their children while they undergo nursing techniques, to determine the level of fear of the minor, to assess the variability of this fear at different child ages and between the presence of the parents and the number of attempts to
complete the technique.
Materials and methods: analytical prospective observational cohort study at the emergency service of the Figueres hospital (Girona), on boys and girls aged 1 month to 12 years who underwent nursing techniques. 30 were exposed to the parent’s presence and 27 were not. The level of fear manifested during the technique was measured through the 2010 NOC Level of Fear. Other study variables included: age, gender, type of technique performed on the child, attempts needed to perform the technique and motive for consultation (Mann-Whitney t test and Wilcoxon test).
Results: children aged 0-6 years experienced fear when subjected to nursing techniques. The presence of the parents did not significantly reduce fear to the techniques. No relationship was found either between the presence of the parents and the amount of attempts needed to perform the technique by the nursing professional.
Conclusions: children aged 0-6 years experienced fear to nursing procedures, that not being the case for children aged 6-12 years. No relationship is found between the presence of the parents and the fear experienced by children to nursing techniques. There is also no evidence on the association between the number of attempts needed to complete the technique and the presence of the parents, a fact that might help reduce the stress of the nursing team thus favouring the link between parent-child and their relationship with the healthcare professional.

Keywords:

child development; fear; infancy; NOC 1210; parentstechniques

Versión en Español

Título:

Impacto de la presencia de los padres en el miedo de niños sometidos a técnicas de Enfermería