Contents of support provided by nurses administering allergy outpatient-care to children with food allergies so they can lead a safe daily life

Abstract

 The purpose of this study was to clarify the contents of support provided by nurses administering allergy outpatient-care to children with food allergies (FA) so they can lead a safe daily life. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 6 outpatient nurses. The qualitative analysis of nurses’ descriptions yielded 8 categories of nursing support: [Build a foundation of trust with the families of FA children to maintain treatment], [Promote a better understanding of treatment among FA children’s families and people around them], [Improve the skin condition of FA children to prevent allergies as much as possible], [Encourage FA children to voluntarily take charge of their own recovery], [Support FA children so they can continue taking responsible food while minimizing the risk of an allergy], [Facilitate FA children to eat well-balanced meals], [Build a system encouraging families to have a talk with medical staff anytime], and [Support the family so they can take care of their child according to the severity of allergic symptoms]. It was found that outpatient care nurses provided various and ongoing support for FA children, their families, and group nursing staff.