Anaesthetizing children-From a nurse anaesthetist's perspective-A qualitative study.
Lena Danielsson, Marie-Louise Lundström, Inger K Holmström and 1 others
PMID 30062034WHAT IT FOUND
Nurse anaesthetists described anaesthetizing children as a complex care situation requiring simultaneous interaction with the child and parents.
They emphasized that parental calmness was crucial for child cooperation, often outweighing their own technical competence. Team coordination and organizational time were seen as vital for safety.
Key findings
01The nurses stated that their goal was to create interactions to ensure that the children and parents felt secure and calm.
02Despite the nurse anaesthetists' professional competence, the support from the accompanying parent was the most pertinent aspect for establishing good contact with the child.
03The nurses described that non-optimal situations were often caused by not having the time to read the patient's record, prepare the drugs, or check all the necessary equipment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only eight nurse anaesthetists from a single county council in Sweden, limiting the transferability of the findings to other contexts or countries. Data were collected via written narratives rather than interviews, which prevented the researchers from asking follow-up questions to deepen understanding. The participants were experienced nurses (6-25 years), so the findings may not reflect the experiences of novice nurse anaesthetists.
Declared interests
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that specific interventions, such as parental coaching or extended preparation time, improve clinical outcomes. The study describes nurses' perceptions and experiences, not the effectiveness of these strategies.