Peer-reviewed article
A framework to improve parental participation in the hospital care of autistic children in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal.
Williams NA, Sokhela DG, Ngxongo TS ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explored how parents can be better involved in hospital care for autistic children in South Africa's eThekwini district. Researchers interviewed nurses and parents to understand their views on parental participation and developed a framework to improve this care. The framework focuses on information sharing, proximity, attitude, and accessing resources. The authors suggest this framework could help improve nursing practice and the hospital experience for autistic children and their families.
Key points
- Autistic children often have distressing hospital experiences due to overstimulation and communication difficulties
- No framework currently exists in South Africa to guide parental participation in hospital care for autistic children
- The study identified 12 themes organised under four sub-concepts: information sharing, proximity, attitude, and garnering resources
- The framework was developed through interviews with 10 nurses and 10 parents using interpretative phenomenological analysis
- The framework aims to improve nursing practice and health outcomes for autistic children during hospital admission
Limitations
This study presents a newly developed framework based on qualitative interviews but does not test or evaluate whether the framework actually improves outcomes when implemented. The research is limited to one district in South Africa and does not provide evidence of the framework's effectiveness in practice.
Abstract
Background When children under 18 years old, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autistic children are admitted to the hospital, they often have distressing experiences attributed mainly to overstimulation and communication issues. The quality of nursing care can be improved by effectively involving the child's parents in their care. Currently, there is no framework to encourage parental participation in the hospital care of autistic children in South Africa. Objectives The study explored professional nurses and parent perceptions on promoting effective parent participation in the hospital care of autistic children and to develop a framework for the improvement of parental participation in the hospital care of autistic children. Method This study utilised the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) research design, and data were collected using individual, virtual, semi-structured interviews. Employing the purposive sampling method, data saturation was reached with ten nurses and ten parents. Data were analysed using the IPA method of data analysis, and the framework was developed, utilising the Gray and Grove framework development process. Results The study revealed 12 themes that were incorporated in a newly developed framework, under the following sub-concepts: Information sharing, proximity, attitude and garnering resources. Conclusion This article presents a newly developed framework for the effective parent participation in the hospital care of autistic children. Contribution The framework developed in this study can contribute to improving nursing practice for paediatric ward nurses and may improve the inpatient experience and health outcomes of autistic children and their parents.