Caring in Pediatric Emergency Nursing

Abstract

An environment committed to providing family-centered care to children must be aware of the nurse caring behaviors important to parents of children. This descriptive study assessed the psychometrics of a revised version of the Caring Behaviors Assessment (CBA) and examined nurse caring behaviors identified as important to the parents of pediatric patients in a pediatric emergency department. Jean Watson’s theory of human caring provided the study’s theoretical underpinnings. The instrument psychometrics was determined through an index of content validity (CVI) and internal consistency reliability. The instrument was determined to be valid (CVI = 3.75) and reliable (Cronbach’s alpha = .971). The revised instrument was completed by a stratified, systematic random sample of 300 parents of pediatric emergency patients. Participants rated the importance of each item for making the child feel cared for by nurses. Individual survey item means were computed. Items with the highest means represented the most important nurse caring behaviors. Leading nurse caring behaviors centered on carative factors of “human needs assistance” and “sensitivity to self and others.” Nearly all nurse caring behaviors were important to the parents of pediatric patients, although some behaviors were not priority. It is important for nurses to provide family-centered care in a way that demonstrates nurse caring.