International commentary on Phiri et al. ‘Registered nurses’ experiences pertaining to family involvement in the care of hospitalised children at a tertiary government hospital in Malawi’
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Nordic Journal of Nursing Research
Publisher
Sage Publications
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
RAS ID
27146
Abstract
This commentary has been written by academics who are part of an international network of nurses who study family-centred care (FCC), the model widely used in paediatrics and children’s nursing. Called ‘International Research Network for Child and Family Centred Care’, its members are drawn from across the world and their goal is to promote evidence-based FCC. Members share and discuss articles related to FCC and nursing practice, research and policy.
In 2017, an article about FCC in Malawi1 highlighted issues that generated debate in the group, initiating discussion around the low nurse–patient ratio of 1:84 in a children’s ward. We examine the article from several perspectives, and ask the question as to whether it is ethical to suggest that FCC should be implemented given the constraints on health priorities. Comments specifically address four important issues: a) lack of resources and the impact of this on FCC; b) lack of empowerment of family members in their child’s care; c) lack of policies to guide and support FCC; and d) the importance of nursing ethics in FCC.
This discourse presents commentary written by several authors. Each section contains the thoughts of each individual author, listed per country.
DOI
10.1177/2057158518791778
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Shields, L., Arabiat, D., Ben-Sefer, E., Carter, B., Coyne, I., Foster, M., ... Zgambo, M. (2018). International commentary on Phiri et al.‘Registered nurses’ experiences pertaining to family involvement in the care of hospitalised children at a tertiary government hospital in Malawi’. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 38(4), 227-231.
Available here.