Characteristics of care for children provided by nurses at pediatric clinics: Care sessions for young children during blood collection

Abstract

 The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of the care for young children provided by nurses during blood collection at pediatric clinics. A qualitative, descriptive study design was adopted, and participatory observation during 11 blood collection sessions for 2- to 6-year-old children at 3 pediatric clinics was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were employed with 5 nurses in charge of blood collection for young children. We conducted the analysis along the time axis, and as result, the approaches were classified into 4 patterns: 1) performing the procedure alone, 2) requiring partial fixation, 3) requiring fixation by sitting astride the child, and 4) postponing. The nurses focused on treating the children sincerely, “involving parents”, “always with a smile”, and using effective communication skills, which also helped the children face the procedure. However, such effects were not achieved when fixation by sitting astride was chosen, as it reminded the children of their past painful blood collection experiences. When the time was tight before blood collection, the nurses allocated sufficient time to release tension in the children after blood collection. The results suggest the necessity of assessing children and parents before blood collection and converting a painful blood collection experience to a positive experience.