This statement gives guidelines to help the pediatrician provide such support. It describes the grief reactions that can be expected in family members after the death of a child. Ways of supporting family members are suggested, and other helpful resources in the community are described.
A policy statement to offer family members the option, when appropriate, of being at the bedside during invasive procedures (IP) and/or resuscitation interventions (RI).
Resources on providing compassionate communication following the death of a pediatric patient
This article provides a review of the evidence regarding clinical communication in the pediatric setting, covering the spectrum from outpatient primary care consultation to death notification, and provides practical suggestions to improve communication with patients and families, enabling more effective, efficient, and empathic pediatric health care.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians support promoting patient dignity, comfort, and autonomy; recognizing the patient and family as key decision-makers in the patient’s medical care; recognizing the patient’s experience and perspective in a culturally sensitive manner; acknowledging the interdependence of child and parent as well as the pediatric patient’s evolving independence; encouraging family-member presence; providing information to the family during interventions; encouraging collaboration with other health care professionals; acknowledging the importance of the patient’s medical home; and encouraging institutional policies for patient- and family-centered care.
This revised technical report draws on previously published policy statements and reports, reviews the current literature, and describes the present state of practice and research regarding patient- and family-centered care for children in the emergency department setting as well as some of the complexities of providing such care.
Does family presence have a positive or negative influence on the patient, family, and staff during invasive procedures and resuscitation?
The Patient- and Family-Centered Care Assessment Tool is an instrument designed to assist the nursing professional with evaluating their ability and the emergency department’s readiness to care for pediatric patients and their families effectively.
Emergency nurses are in a key position to inform, educate, and advocate for patients and their families regarding advance care planning.2 It is important that emergency nurses participate in the shared decision-making (SDM) process, which allows patients, surrogates, and clinicians to make collaborative healthcare decisions while considering the patient’s values and preferences.
Patient- and family-centered care leads to better health outcomes, improved patient and family experience of care, better clinician and staff satisfaction, and wiser allocation of resources.
Management of pediatric pain from medical procedures is of great importance for improving both patient care and experience
Family-centered care is a way of providing services that assures the health and well-being of children and their families through respectful family/professional partnerships.
