Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "School Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 24541

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: spirituality in health; nursing research; nursing diagnosis; nursing taxonomies; nursing clinical reasoning; nursing education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: pediatric nursing; child and nutrition; nursing education; nursing diagnosis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: pediatric nursing; nursing education; nursing research; nursing and healthcare management

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: pediatric nursing; hope; nursing education; nursing theory; chronic illness

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on a range of papers concerning nursing, child and pediatric health, based on a humanistic approach. Authors are invited to submit research papers, discussion papers, and review papers concerning several topics, across any healthcare setting or cultural background, but still related to children—from premature to young adult. This Special Issue aims to bring together a multidimensional approach across different aspects of pediatric nursing.

Nursing is described as a science and art that considers the human being across their lifespan. Pediatric nursing focuses on a specific and critical phase of being—the beginning of life until the end of youth. Pediatric nursing encompasses healthy children as well as those living with acute, chronic or terminal diseases, and always considering parents and family during care. Healthcare needs are becoming more challenging and healthcare staff, particularly nurses, need to be aware of specific contexts and experiences aiming at providing the best care to children and families living in a globalized and changing world. These factors urge pediatric nurses to update their knowledge and competencies in many aspects that go beyond their remit, such as the awareness of new digital sources of information, new treatments and therapeutics, and new models of care.

This Special Issue entitled “Nursing, Child and Pediatric health” invites papers from nurses, midwives and pediatric nurses, working in different healthcare settings, education or management, and including the following topics:

  • Evolution of nursing care for the child and family;
  • Concepts related to pediatric nursing care;
  • Assessment tools or scales used in pediatric nursing care;
  • Experiences concerning pediatric nursing care (from the perspective of children; parents, family or caregivers; or nurses);
  • Experiences or projects concerning education pediatric nursing care;
  • Family-centered care in pediatric nursing settings;
  • Cultural dimensions of pediatric nursing care;
  • Humanization in pediatric nursing contexts;
  • Knowledge synthesis and evidence on pediatric nursing care;
  • Implementation innovative projects on pediatric nursing care;
  • Ethical aspects concerning pediatric nursing care;
  • Transition between contexts and issues for children and their families;
  • Human responses of children to psychological health and health problems.

Dr. Sílvia Caldeira
Dr. Margarida Lourenço
Dr. Elisabete Nunes
Dr. Zaida Charepe
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pediatric nursing
  • child nutrition
  • child development
  • child participation
  • chronic disease
  • holistic
  • humanistic nursing
  • clinical decision making
  • adolescents
  • neonatal nursing
  • health literacy

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 625 KiB  
Article
Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Fertility Adjustment Scale
by Joana Romeiro, Paulo Nogueira and Sílvia Caldeira
Healthcare 2022, 10(3), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030563 - 17 Mar 2022
Viewed by 1520
Abstract
There is an urgent need to provide healthcare professionals and midwives with validated tools as to improve fertility adjustment and promote well-being of couples with infertility. The purpose of this study was to test validity of the Fertility Adjustment Scale among people undergoing [...] Read more.
There is an urgent need to provide healthcare professionals and midwives with validated tools as to improve fertility adjustment and promote well-being of couples with infertility. The purpose of this study was to test validity of the Fertility Adjustment Scale among people undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. A cross-sectional and methodological study was conducted, and a total of 104 Portuguese adults undergoing fertility treatment were recruited through fertility-related websites. The Fertility Adjustment Scale was administered along with the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire and the Resilience Scale for adults as a measure of concurrent validity. Scores revealed the sample’s lack of adjustment to fertility. A significant correlation with measures of resilience provided evidence of convergent validity. There was a significant association of fertility adjustment with time of consultation and the cause of infertility. A Fertility Adjustment Scale with six items is a reliable tool that offers early recognition of patients’ difficulties in adaptation to fertility problems during assisted reproductive techniques, which could be beneficial in not only an early recognition of healthcare intervention but of a more individualized approach to such patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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14 pages, 600 KiB  
Article
A Qualitative Study of the Spiritual Aspects of Parenting a Child with Down Syndrome
by Elysângela Dittz Duarte, Patrícia P. Braga, Bárbara R. Guimarães, Juliana B. da Silva and Sílvia Caldeira
Healthcare 2022, 10(3), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030546 - 16 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2749
Abstract
Parenting a child with Down syndrome can sometimes present certain difficulties and, thus, spirituality may function as a dimension related to finding meaning in life and as a coping resource. Spirituality is a critical dimension of nursing care, but scarce knowledge is available [...] Read more.
Parenting a child with Down syndrome can sometimes present certain difficulties and, thus, spirituality may function as a dimension related to finding meaning in life and as a coping resource. Spirituality is a critical dimension of nursing care, but scarce knowledge is available to specifically inform family nursing practice. The aim of this study was to explore the spiritual aspects of parenting a child with Down syndrome, as a qualitative secondary analysis. This is an observational qualitative study, based on in-depth interviews from 42 participants. Data analysis found seven categories that concern meaning and purpose in life: hope, family strength, spiritual practices, personal beliefs, and love, and trust in healthcare providers. Spirituality is a resource in parents’ lives who are living in this situation. Nurses should consider this dimension in supporting families and in improving management of this life and health condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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12 pages, 261 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Impact of Unfolding Case Study Scenarios during High-Fidelity Pediatric Simulation among Undergraduate Nursing Students
by Allison C. Munn, Beth Lay, Tiffany A. Phillips and Tracy P. George
Healthcare 2021, 9(11), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111584 - 19 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2589
Abstract
Simulation helps to prepare prelicensure nursing students for practice by providing opportunities to perform clinical skills and make decisions in a safe environment. The integration of nursing knowledge, skills, and decision-making abilities during simulated unfolding case-study scenarios may enhance student self-confidence and foster [...] Read more.
Simulation helps to prepare prelicensure nursing students for practice by providing opportunities to perform clinical skills and make decisions in a safe environment. The integration of nursing knowledge, skills, and decision-making abilities during simulated unfolding case-study scenarios may enhance student self-confidence and foster clinical judgement skills. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of simulation using unfolding case-study scenarios on undergraduate nursing students’ self-confidence in pediatric nursing knowledge, skills, and clinical judgment/decision-making abilities. This mixed methods study included a pre- and post-survey design to evaluate undergraduate nursing students’ confidence in pediatric nursing knowledge, skills, and decision-making abilities after participation in both an instructor-led (guided) and a student-led (decision-making) simulation involving unfolding case-study scenarios. Friedman’s ANOVA analyses revealed that all 16-items demonstrated statistically significant differences between the three measured responses (pre-simulation and both post-simulation surveys). Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed statistically significant differences in student ratings pre-simulation and post-instructor-led (guided) experience for all 16-scored items. The qualitative themes identified were perception of experience, pediatric nursing care, assimilation of knowledge, and critical thinking. Unfolding case-study simulation experiences positively impact the learning, self-confidence, and clinical judgement of undergraduate nursing students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
10 pages, 784 KiB  
Article
Experiences of Using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in Children—A Descriptive Study with Parents in the Republic of Georgia
by Nino Kheladze, Lars Kristensson, Anders Johansson, Elizabeth Crang-Svalenius and Bodil Ivarsson
Healthcare 2021, 9(11), 1556; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111556 - 16 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1919
Abstract
The benefits of medical devices are often multifaceted and may have an important impact on patients’ and relatives’ physical, mental and/or social well-being. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder and a continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring sensor can suggest increasing treatment satisfaction. The purpose of [...] Read more.
The benefits of medical devices are often multifaceted and may have an important impact on patients’ and relatives’ physical, mental and/or social well-being. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder and a continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring sensor can suggest increasing treatment satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to describe parents’ experiences during their daily lives and support needs when a child uses a Flash Glucose Monitoring system (FGM). Twenty parents (n = 3 men vs. n = 17 women) to children (age ranged between 22 months and 16 years) with diabetes disease type 1, treated with an FGM unit (used for an average of 7 months (range 1–72)) at home, participated in this study. A qualitative questionnaire survey with open questions including follow-up dialogues was distributed to the parents, and collected data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Overall satisfaction with the Libre device was Md 10 (IQR 9.25–10). One main theme “Advances in technology significantly improved everyday life” emerged from 2 categories: Improvements in quality of life and Elements of challenges. In conclusion, this qualitative study determined that parents of children with DMT1 experience a great improvement in daily life when given the opportunity to use the Libre device. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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13 pages, 807 KiB  
Article
Identifying Children at Readmission Risk: At-Admission versus Traditional At-Discharge Readmission Prediction Model
by Hasan Symum and José Zayas-Castro
Healthcare 2021, 9(10), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101334 - 07 Oct 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2181
Abstract
The timing of 30-day pediatric readmissions is skewed with approximately 40% of the incidents occurring within the first week of hospital discharges. The skewed readmission time distribution coupled with delay in health information exchange among healthcare providers might offer a limited time to [...] Read more.
The timing of 30-day pediatric readmissions is skewed with approximately 40% of the incidents occurring within the first week of hospital discharges. The skewed readmission time distribution coupled with delay in health information exchange among healthcare providers might offer a limited time to devise a comprehensive intervention plan. However, pediatric readmission studies are thus far limited to the development of the prediction model after hospital discharges. In this study, we proposed a novel pediatric readmission prediction model at the time of hospital admission which can improve the high-risk patient selection process. We also compared proposed models with the standard at-discharge readmission prediction model. Using the Hospital Cost and Utilization Project database, this prognostic study included pediatric hospital discharges in Florida from January 2016 through September 2017. Four machine learning algorithms—logistic regression with backward stepwise selection, decision tree, Support Vector machines (SVM) with the polynomial kernel, and Gradient Boosting—were developed for at-admission and at-discharge models using a recursive feature elimination technique with a repeated cross-validation process. The performance of the at-admission and at-discharge model was measured by the area under the curve. The performance of the at-admission model was comparable with the at-discharge model for all four algorithms. SVM with Polynomial Kernel algorithms outperformed all other algorithms for at-admission and at-discharge models. Important features associated with increased readmission risk varied widely across the type of prediction model and were mostly related to patients’ demographics, social determinates, clinical factors, and hospital characteristics. Proposed at-admission readmission risk decision support model could help hospitals and providers with additional time for intervention planning, particularly for those targeting social determinants of children’s overall health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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22 pages, 9537 KiB  
Article
Children’s Activity Classification for Domestic Risk Scenarios Using Environmental Sound and a Bayesian Network
by Antonio García-Domínguez, Carlos E. Galván-Tejada, Ramón F. Brena, Antonio A. Aguileta, Jorge I. Galván-Tejada, Hamurabi Gamboa-Rosales, José M. Celaya-Padilla and Huizilopoztli Luna-García
Healthcare 2021, 9(7), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070884 - 13 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
Children’s healthcare is a relevant issue, especially the prevention of domestic accidents, since it has even been defined as a global health problem. Children’s activity classification generally uses sensors embedded in children’s clothing, which can lead to erroneous measurements for possible damage or [...] Read more.
Children’s healthcare is a relevant issue, especially the prevention of domestic accidents, since it has even been defined as a global health problem. Children’s activity classification generally uses sensors embedded in children’s clothing, which can lead to erroneous measurements for possible damage or mishandling. Having a non-invasive data source for a children’s activity classification model provides reliability to the monitoring system where it is applied. This work proposes the use of environmental sound as a data source for the generation of children’s activity classification models, implementing feature selection methods and classification techniques based on Bayesian networks, focused on the recognition of potentially triggering activities of domestic accidents, applicable in child monitoring systems. Two feature selection techniques were used: the Akaike criterion and genetic algorithms. Likewise, models were generated using three classifiers: naive Bayes, semi-naive Bayes and tree-augmented naive Bayes. The generated models, combining the methods of feature selection and the classifiers used, present accuracy of greater than 97% for most of them, with which we can conclude the efficiency of the proposal of the present work in the recognition of potentially detonating activities of domestic accidents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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15 pages, 1080 KiB  
Article
Parenting of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Grounded Theory Study
by Clara Roquette Viana, Sílvia Caldeira, Margarida Lourenço and Amélia Simões Figueiredo
Healthcare 2021, 9(7), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070872 - 12 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4379
Abstract
Background: Parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves several processes and emotions during this transition. In addition to the family’s natural transition when a child is born, the family of a child with ASD has to deal with the particularities [...] Read more.
Background: Parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves several processes and emotions during this transition. In addition to the family’s natural transition when a child is born, the family of a child with ASD has to deal with the particularities of the disability, its characteristics, and its evolution. Methods: This is a qualitative grounded theory study aiming to deepen the knowledge about the process of parenting children with ASD. Data were collected using interviews and observations of nine couples and one single mother. Results: Coding and analysis led to the main theme, which is as follows: parenting of children with ASD as representative of the parents’ transformation while caring for the child, also based on adaptation throughout this experience. Conclusions: Parenting is a dynamic process, grounded on the interaction of different contexts, such as family, education, health, and society, and on the co-construction of different times and episodes. These characteristics underline the complex and individual nature of parenting children with autism, which requires specific assessments and interventions by nurses when caring for these families, whether in a family nursing context, community nursing, and pediatric nursing or midwifery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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16 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
Children’s Understanding of Informed Assents in Research Studies
by Hortense Cotrim, Cristina Granja, Ana Sofia Carvalho, Carlos Cotrim and Rui Martins
Healthcare 2021, 9(7), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070871 - 10 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2276
Abstract
The assent procedure reflects an effort to enable the minor to understand, to the degree they are capable of, what their participation in the decision making process would involve. Aims: To evaluate the minors’ ability to understand the information provided to them when [...] Read more.
The assent procedure reflects an effort to enable the minor to understand, to the degree they are capable of, what their participation in the decision making process would involve. Aims: To evaluate the minors’ ability to understand the information provided to them when obtaining assent and to evaluate the opinion of the parents regarding the importance of asking the child’s assent. Methods: The sample included a total of 52 minors aged between 10 and 17 years who underwent exercise echocardiogram. The Quality of Informed Consent is divided into two parts: Part A was used to measure objective understanding and part B to measure subjective understanding. Results: The results show that the minors have a high capacity to understand the information given to them when asking for assent. A positive relationship was found between the two parts of the questionnaire. No statistically significant relationship was found between age and sex and part A and part B or between both age groups (<14 years old and ≥14 years old) and the measure. In the case of the parents, 96.6% of parents consider assent as an advantage for the child’s acceptance of health care. The opinion of the parents is not related to the age, sex or level of schooling. Conclusion: Minors showed a substantial level of understanding regarding the information provided to them. The parents considered the implementation of assent fundamental to the child’s acceptance of health care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)

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22 pages, 2997 KiB  
Systematic Review
Promotion of Self-Management of Chronic Disease in Children and Teenagers: Scoping Review
by Marta Catarino, Zaida Charepe and Constança Festas
Healthcare 2021, 9(12), 1642; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9121642 - 27 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3405
Abstract
Background: The scientific literature describes that self-management of chronic illness leads to improved health outcomes. Knowledge about interventions that promote self-management behaviors in children and teenagers has been poorly clarified. This study aims to map, in the scientific literature, the nature and extent [...] Read more.
Background: The scientific literature describes that self-management of chronic illness leads to improved health outcomes. Knowledge about interventions that promote self-management behaviors in children and teenagers has been poorly clarified. This study aims to map, in the scientific literature, the nature and extent of interventions that promote self-management of chronic disease, implemented and evaluated in contexts of health care provided to children and teenagers. Methods: The guidelines proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute were followed. The survey was conducted in June 2021, with access to international databases and gray literature, in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. Results: Interventions that promote self-management of children and teenagers can be developed through a local contact or through technological means of support for health care. The use of online supports, such as applications or communication platforms, should be parameterized with health professionals, according to the needs of users. Conclusions: The acquisition of self-management skills in pediatrics is a process supported by the family, health professionals and the community, in which the nurse, in partnership, can promote communication and health education through cognitive strategies, behavioral programs included in physical or online programs, adjusted to the patients’ needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing, Child and Pediatric Health)
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