Parents’ Perception regarding Their Participation in the Care of Hospitalised Children at a Tertiary Government Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi

Abstract

Parental participation is one of the cornerstones of paediatric practice. Evidence from the literature has shown that effective parental participation depends on parents’ preparedness, adequate communication between parents and nurses, and the negotiation process. However, little is known about the perception of these parents regarding their participation in the care of their hospitalised children. The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of parents regarding their participation in the care of their children who were hospitalised at a government hospital in Malawi. A descriptive qualitative study was carried out using a semi-structured interview guide to collect data from 20 parents in the paediatric department. Thematic analysis was done guided by Colaizzi’s method. Three main themes emerged from the data and these were lack of role negotiation by healthcare workers, inadequate role preparation for parents, and parents’ perceptions of the care they provided to their hospitalised children. The study findings showed that parents view their participation in the care of hospitalised children as appropriate, important and satisfying. However, gaps exist in the way they participate in the care of their hospitalised children due to inadequate role negotiation and role preparation for parents and inadequate information from nurses. The researchers recommend that management should develop protocols and guidelines for the implementation of parental participation in the care of hospitalised children to promote best practices and quality children’s care.