RNSystematic ReviewRevista brasileira de enfermagem2026

Nursing interventions promoting parenting during child hospitalization: a scoping review.

Joana Rita Guarda da Venda Rodrigues, Bárbara Rodrigues E Sousa, Francisca Cardoso Macedo and 3 others

PMID 41739676

WHAT IT FOUND

Nursing actions mapped for parents during child hospitalization include teaching care skills, validating emotions, encouraging skin-to-skin contact and parental presence, and linking families to community resources.

The review did not test whether these actions improve outcomes.

Key findings

01The review mapped nursing actions described as promoting parenting during child hospitalization and included 17 studies identified from 1,491 publications.

02Most included studies were qualitative, with 11 qualitative studies among 17, and the evidence concentrated on newborns.

03The review did not assess effectiveness, so the listed interventions are mapped practice options, not proven treatments.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs

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What it does not show

A small number of studies were included. Most evidence came from newborn and neonatal contexts, so it says little about older hospitalized children. The review did not assess effectiveness, so it cannot show which interventions work. Many included studies were qualitative or conceptual, so they describe experiences and ideas rather than test outcomes. It was not always clear whether the interventions apply to all hospitalization situations.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read the mapped nursing interventions as evidence that they improve parenting, stress, or child outcomes. The review did not assess effectiveness and drew mainly on qualitative and small studies.

Read it on PubMed →