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Stressful Experiences of Parents in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: Searching for the Most Intensive PICU Stressors

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  • Ivana Debelić

    (School of Nursing, Medicinska Škola Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
    Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Anamaria Mikolčić

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Jovana Tihomirović

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Iva Barić

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
    Specialist Practice of Occupational and Sports Medicine, Ilija Celebic, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Đurđica Lendić

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
    Paediatric Clinic, University Hospital Centre Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Željka Nikšić

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
    Paediatric Clinic, University Hospital Centre Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Barbara Šencaj

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
    Department of School Medicine, Teaching Institute of Public Health for the Osijek-Baranya County, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

  • Robert Lovrić

    (Nursing Institute “Professor Radivoje Radić”, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia)

Abstract

Hospitalization of a child in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is extremely stressful, both for the child and for his or her family. The purpose of this study was to gain deeper insight into the stressful experiences of parents of children hospitalized in the PICU. This study included 96 parents. The data were collected using a translated and standardized scale “The Parental Stressor Scale: Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PSS: PICU)”. This study confirms high exposure of parents to numerous PICU stressors. The most intense PICU stressor for parents was child’s breathing depending on the ventilator (4.22 ± 1.17), and the least intense was child’s demanding behaviour (1.17 ± 0.33). A significant positive correlation between the level of parents’ perceived stress and the number of their children was recorded (r = 0.240, p = 0.02), while there was no significant correlation between the level of stress and other sociodemographic variables. A significantly higher level of stress was experienced by parents with primary school education ( p = 0.032) and parents who are not healthcare professionals ( p < 0.01). It is necessary to establish a system that will enable continuous assessment of parents’ stress levels and timely prevention of stressful experiences for parents in the PICU.

Suggested Citation

  • Ivana Debelić & Anamaria Mikolčić & Jovana Tihomirović & Iva Barić & Đurđica Lendić & Željka Nikšić & Barbara Šencaj & Robert Lovrić, 2022. "Stressful Experiences of Parents in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: Searching for the Most Intensive PICU Stressors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:18:p:11450-:d:912540
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barbara Zych & Witold Błaż & Ewa Dmoch-Gajzlerska & Katarzyna Kanadys & Anna Lewandowska & Małgorzata Nagórska, 2021. "Perception of Stress and Styles of Coping with It in Parents Giving Kangaroo Mother Care to Their Children during Hospitalization in NICU," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Jasenka Vujanić & Nada Prlić & Robert Lovrić, 2020. "Nurses’ Self-Assessment of Caring Behaviors in Nurse–Patient Interactions: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Nikolina Farčić & Ivana Barać & Jadranka Plužarić & Vesna Ilakovac & Stana Pačarić & Zvjezdana Gvozdanović & Robert Lovrić, 2020. "Personality traits of core self-evaluation as predictors on clinical decision-making in nursing profession," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-12, May.
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