Parental involvement in decision-making about their child’s health care at the hospital

Abstract

Aim: To explore parents' experiences on parental involvement in decision-making about their child's health care at the hospital and to identify how health professionals can improve parental involvement. Design: An explorative descriptive qualitative study within a constructivist research paradigm. Methods: Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 parents. Qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: This study gives unique insight into how parental involvement in children's healthcare decisions influence parents' ability to cope with the parental role at the hospital. The results showed that parents' competence and perceived influence and control over their child's health care appeared to affect how they mastered their role of involvement in decision-making. Individually tailored and respectful facilitation of parental involvement in these decisions by health professionals seemed to improve parents' influence, control and ability to cope with the parental role. Nurses should thus strengthen parents' sense of coherence enhancing the quality of health care.