title: Family presence during resuscitation in a paediatric hospital: health professionals' confidence and perceptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate medical and nursing staff's perceptions of and self-confidence in facilitating family presence during resuscitation in a paediatric hospital setting.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Family presence during resuscitation is the attendance of family members in a location that affords visual or physical contact with the patient during resuscitation. Providing the opportunity for families to be present during resuscitation embraces the family-centred care philosophy which underpins paediatric care. Having families present continues to spark much debate amongst health care professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross-sectional randomised survey using the 'Family Presence Risk/Benefit Scale' and the 'Family Presence Self-Confidence Scale 'to assess health care professionals' (doctors and nurses) perceptions and self-confidence in facilitating family presence during resuscitation of a child in a paediatric hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were distributed to 300 randomly selected medical and nursing staff. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare medical and nursing, and critical and noncritical care perceptions and self-confidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Critical care staff had statistically significant higher risk/benefit scores and higher self-confidence scores than those working in noncritical care areas. Having experience in paediatric resuscitation, having invited families to be present previously and a greater number of years working in paediatrics significantly affected participants' perceptions and self-confidence. There was no difference between medical and nursing mean scores for either scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both medical and nursing staff working in the paediatric setting understood the needs of families and the philosophy of family-centred care is a model of care practised across disciplines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This has implications both for implementing guidelines to support family presence during resuscitation and for education strategies to shift the attitudes of staff who have limited or no experience.
authors.affiliation: Children's Cardiac Centre, Child & Adolescent Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia.|Children's Cardiac Centre, Princess Margaret Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987 Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia.|Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Child & Adolescent Health Services, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Fenella J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4697-9640
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia.|The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shields
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003422:Critical Care; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012151:Resuscitation; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: doctors; family presence; family-centred care; hospital; nurses; paediatrics; patient-centred; resuscitation