Needs of parents of the child hospitalised with Acquired Brain Damage

This paper describes the findings of a descriptive study into needs of parents of children with Acquired Brain Damage during hospitalisation. Thirty four parents of 28 children treated at a tertiary referral pediatric hospital were interviewed. Parents described their experiences during their childʹs hospitalisation and identified needs which, when met, enabled them to care for their children and cope with the sudden illness and disabilities. Three themes were identified: services that optimised the childʹs recovery, services which supported parents cope with childʹs illness and services assisting in maintenance of family functioning and stability. An emerging model of parental needs and nursing interventions to meet these are identified.