Peer-reviewed article
Care in pediatric nursing from the perspective of emotions: from Nightingale to the present
Paula Diogo, Bruna Hinnah Borges Martins de Freitas, Ana Inês Lourenço da Costa, Maria Aparecida Munhóz Gaíva ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a reflective academic paper about the history and philosophy of emotional care in pediatric nursing, tracing ideas from Florence Nightingale to contemporary practice. It argues that emotional dimensions have always been central to nursing care, rooted in concepts of charity and compassion. The paper calls for emotional care competence to be recognized as a professional skill. The work does not evaluate any intervention or measure outcomes for children's well-being.
Key points
- Nightingale's nursing concepts included integrative and humanist care with emotional dimensions
- Pediatric nursing care has historically been based on religious values of charity and love
- These foundational values remain attributes of pediatric nursing despite modern science
- Emotional care and management of emotions in nurse-child-family interactions is described as crucial
- The paper calls for emotional care to be recognized as a professional competence and expertise
Limitations
This is a reflective theoretical paper without empirical data collection or evaluation of outcomes. It does not measure the impact of emotional care on children's health, development, or well-being, nor does it test any specific intervention.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Reflect on the evolution of pediatric nursing care from the perspective of emotions, from the conceptions of Florence Nightingale to the present. METHOD: Reflective study based on theoretical and experiential aspects of emotional care in pediatric nursing. RESULTS: From Nightingale, there were many definitions regarding the nursing care in an integrative and humanist logic; and with certain bond to emotional dimension. That time, nursing care was based on the religious conceptions of charity and love of our neighbor and, despite the conceptualization that shapes nursing science today, such conceptions have not ceased to be its attribute, mainly in the care of pediatric nurses. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: In pediatric nursing, nurture care with affection and facilitate emotions management in each interaction nurse-child-family is crucial for caring. This emotional care should evolve into a competence that recognizes the expertise and merit of professional action.