An investigation of the hospital experiences of parents with a child in paediatric intensive care

The experience of families of children admitted to paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) frequently results in their feeling disempowered. The following phenomenological study involved 15 families of children who were critically ill and explored their journey from the point the child became ill, to the crisis of admission to the PICU, the subsequent discharge to the ward and, finally, the child's return home. An analysis uncovered a series of pathways that the families' experiences inevitably followed, which frequently caused them to feel disempowered. The study pinpoints key issues faced by the families and concludes that it is possible to improve their experience.