Nursing guidelines for caregivers of children with congenital heart disease after discharge: Integrative Review

Abstract

Objective. To identify the nursing guidelines for caregivers of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after hospital discharge. Methods. This is an integrative literature review of articles published between 2016 and 2022. In order to select the studies, the controlled descriptors “Nursing Care”, “Nursing”, “Heart Defects, Congenital”, “Caregivers” and “Child” were used in four scientific databases – LILACS, SCIELO, PUBMED and BDENF. Results. The current integrative literature review analyzed 11 articles from the original sample. The main nursing care issues are those related to nutrition, oral health, leisure and physical activity, care with medication and the surgical wound, as well as the need to offer support to these children’s families. The authors emphasize that nurses are present at various moments in a child’s life, including at birth, but the approach to CHD is scarce in their basic training as nurses, as well as in their professional practice, and there is a shortage of continuing education proposals for the care of children with CHD. Conclusion. The study showed that nursing guidelines are focused on basic care and family support for these children. Lastly, this study highlighted the important role of nurses in terms of consolidating guidelines on the care needs of these children.