Nurses' Experiences of Caring for Children on Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation.
Annika Winblad von Walter, Veronica Lundberg, Sara Sonnemo and 1 others
PMID 41536128WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses on general paediatric wards felt insecure managing children on long-term home ventilation due to unfamiliar equipment and high parental expectations.
They relied on parents' expertise to build trust, but struggled when support from specialist teams was unavailable.
Key findings
01Nurses reported that their confidence in caring for these children was weakened by limitations in their own competence, support, and resources regarding long-term ventilation.
02Nurses valued parents' expertise and worked to utilize it, but found it difficult to challenge parents when they believed parental procedures introduced risks.
03Access to a paediatric respiratory specialist team and colleagues familiar with specific devices was essential for boosting nurses' confidence and safety.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single university hospital ward in Sweden, which may limit the transferability of findings to other healthcare systems or non-specialist settings. The sample size was small (15 participants), and the proportion of male nurses was low. The study relies on self-reported experiences and perceptions, which may be subject to recall bias or social desirability bias.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors have nothing to report regarding funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the nurses' reliance on parental expertise as a recommendation to delegate clinical responsibility to parents. The paper states that final responsibility for the child's health remains with healthcare professionals during hospitalisation, and nurses struggled to challenge unsafe parental practices.