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The parent between the child and the professional--some ethical implications

Hallström, Inger LU and Nilstun, Tore LU (1997) In Child: Care Health and Development 23(6). p.447-455
Abstract
In this paper ethical implications of parental participation in paediatric care are discussed. The paper is based on interviews with 20 parents, whose children were admitted and operated on at a paediatric surgery department in Sweden. In one part of the interview the parent was invited to speak about situations experienced as problematic during the hospitalization. Three different types of situations were described by the parents as especially problematic. In the first situation the parents' ability to influence their own situation was limited. Parents got upset when staff did not treat them as autonomous persons. In the second type of situation things 'had to be done' to the child, for example the surgery, the anaesthesia, removing an... (More)
In this paper ethical implications of parental participation in paediatric care are discussed. The paper is based on interviews with 20 parents, whose children were admitted and operated on at a paediatric surgery department in Sweden. In one part of the interview the parent was invited to speak about situations experienced as problematic during the hospitalization. Three different types of situations were described by the parents as especially problematic. In the first situation the parents' ability to influence their own situation was limited. Parents got upset when staff did not treat them as autonomous persons. In the second type of situation things 'had to be done' to the child, for example the surgery, the anaesthesia, removing an indwelling catheter and giving an enema. The parents understood and accepted this, but the child was sometimes unable to agree usually because of anxiety and fear. In the third type of situation parents felt that professionals did not take them or their child seriously. In order to avoid or alleviate such situations, the professionals ought to mediate a permissive attitude to the expressions of concern. Thus, when the parents worry, the professionals ought to listen more attentively and, whenever possible and adequate, respect their concerns. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
child, parent, ethics
in
Child: Care Health and Development
volume
23
issue
6
pages
447 - 455
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:9373750
  • scopus:0031279482
ISSN
1365-2214
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2214.1997.tb00914.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Department of Medical Ethics (013230023), Division of Nursing (Closed 2012) (013065000)
id
19709e36-e387-49c0-81b0-bec3c39d6f44 (old id 1111878)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:08:06
date last changed
2022-01-26 23:19:35
@article{19709e36-e387-49c0-81b0-bec3c39d6f44,
  abstract     = {{In this paper ethical implications of parental participation in paediatric care are discussed. The paper is based on interviews with 20 parents, whose children were admitted and operated on at a paediatric surgery department in Sweden. In one part of the interview the parent was invited to speak about situations experienced as problematic during the hospitalization. Three different types of situations were described by the parents as especially problematic. In the first situation the parents' ability to influence their own situation was limited. Parents got upset when staff did not treat them as autonomous persons. In the second type of situation things 'had to be done' to the child, for example the surgery, the anaesthesia, removing an indwelling catheter and giving an enema. The parents understood and accepted this, but the child was sometimes unable to agree usually because of anxiety and fear. In the third type of situation parents felt that professionals did not take them or their child seriously. In order to avoid or alleviate such situations, the professionals ought to mediate a permissive attitude to the expressions of concern. Thus, when the parents worry, the professionals ought to listen more attentively and, whenever possible and adequate, respect their concerns.}},
  author       = {{Hallström, Inger and Nilstun, Tore}},
  issn         = {{1365-2214}},
  keywords     = {{child; parent; ethics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{447--455}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Child: Care Health and Development}},
  title        = {{The parent between the child and the professional--some ethical implications}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.1997.tb00914.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2214.1997.tb00914.x}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}