title: Enhancing sibling presence in pediatric ICU.
abstract: Critical illness of a child affects all members of the family, including well brothers and sisters. Stress in their lives results from changes in parental behaviors, caregiving arrangements, and family relationships. These changes, along with limited understanding and information about the crisis, create feelings of confusion, loneliness, jealousy, and sadness, as well as physical symptoms and behavior changes. Educating pediatric ICU nurses about the needs and reactions of well siblings enables them to optimize support to siblings and educate parents. A sibling policy guarantees that choice and support are offered in a consistent and thorough manner to each critically ill child's family; this helps to ensure that the family unit has the abilities to nurture the ill child and other well children.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse Educator, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Royal University Hospital, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 0W8. janlyn.rozdilsky@saskatoonhealthregion.ca
authors.forename: Janlyn R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rozdilsky
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000458:organization & administration; D007578:Jealousy; D008132:Loneliness; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012801:Sibling Relations; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000523:psychology*