Korean J Child Health Nurs.  2000 Jun;6(2):240-248.

Family coping of family who has a hospitalized child

• Tak YR
• Yoe JY
• Park YY

Abstract

Nurses working with families who has a hospitalized child are aware of the complexity of the tasks and stresses they deal with new setting of environment. The challenge is to assess the family coping activity that require the most immediate intervention for the effective nursing care for child and family. This study describe the family coping inventory for the clinical guidance to identify a family coping with stressors. The purpose of this study was to look at the factors related to the family's coping activity when the child was hospitalized. The data were collected with a questionnaire between July and August, 1999, in a sample of 106 families who have hospitalized child. Family coping was assessed using Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale(F-COPES). Data was analyzed using correlation coefficent and analysis of variance. Positive correlation was found between social support, reframe with mobilizing the family to acquire and accept help in sub-domain of family coping. Strongest correlation existed between the family's spiritual support and total family coping. The type of diagnosis, the level of family income, religion, and child's age were significantly different in family coping. The result show that the family coping is affected by the characteristics of child and family, as well as the factors of coping activity. Therefore, early assessment of family coping skill and activity is important to the prevention of problem with function toward wholeness as a unit and child's well being. It can be used with a broad range of child's hospitalization process. It also serve as a nursing record and planning tool for documenting issues that may become priorities for future interventions.

MeSH Terms

Adaptation, Psychological
Child
Child, Hospitalized*
Diagnosis
Hospitalization
Humans
Nursing Care
Nursing Records
Child Health
Surveys and Questionnaires