Peer-reviewed article
Impact of nurse-parent partnership, social support, and uncertainty on parental efficacy among mothers of children hospitalized in pediatric wards in South Korea: a cross-sectional study.
Kim DA, Choi MY ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined what influences parental efficacy (confidence in parenting ability) among mothers of children hospitalized in South Korea. Researchers surveyed 149 mothers and found that social support improved parental confidence while uncertainty reduced it. The findings suggest that nurses can help mothers feel more capable by providing clear information and creating a supportive environment during their child's hospital stay.
Key points
- Social support was positively correlated with parental efficacy (r=.35, p<.001)
- Uncertainty was negatively correlated with parental efficacy (r=-.36, p<.001)
- Uncertainty and social support together explained 21.0% of the variance in parental efficacy
- Uncertainty had the strongest association with parental efficacy (β=-.26, p=.001)
- Study involved 149 mothers across 5 hospitals in the Chungcheong region
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot establish causality or determine whether improving social support or reducing uncertainty would actually increase parental efficacy. The study only included mothers in one region of South Korea, which may limit generalizability.
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to identify the relationships among nurse-parent partnership, social support, uncertainty, and parental efficacy among mothers of children hospitalized in pediatric wards. Methods This descriptive survey study included 149 mothers of children hospitalized in pediatric wards at 5 hospitals in the Chungcheong region from August 12 to September 17, 2025. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results Parental efficacy was positively correlated with social support (r=.35, p<.001) and negatively correlated with uncertainty (r=-.36, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that uncertainty (β=-.26, p=.001) and social support (β=.24, p=.003) were significantly associated with parental efficacy and explained 21.0% of the variance. Conclusion Uncertainty and social support were key factors associated with parental efficacy among mothers of children hospitalized in pediatric wards. Nursing interventions to enhance parental efficacy should therefore focus on reducing maternal uncertainty by providing specific, repeated information and fostering a supportive nursing environment that helps mothers recognize and use available social support.