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Children's stories on managing their chronic illness at home. / Marie Elizabeth Bodycombe-James
Swansea University Author: Marie Elizabeth Bodycombe-James
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Abstract
Changes in the epidemiology of child health have resulted in the reduction of acute infectious disease and an increase in the numbers of children who live with a chronic condition. Children with a chronic condition are more likely to be hospitalised due to complications, or exacerbation of their con...
| Published: |
2012
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42534 |
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| Abstract: |
Changes in the epidemiology of child health have resulted in the reduction of acute infectious disease and an increase in the numbers of children who live with a chronic condition. Children with a chronic condition are more likely to be hospitalised due to complications, or exacerbation of their condition. Repeated hospital admission for children has been shown to be detrimental to their psychological and physical health. However the provision of care at home by community children's nursing service has been reported as less stressful and facilitates normality for the child and family. Within this thesis I have explored the experiences of thirty (n-30) children between the ages of seven and eleven years of age of managing their chronic illness at home. I adopted a narrative inquiry approach to the research which was based on the concept that children are social actors who can act with intention in their own lives. The thesis is grounded within the new sociology of childhood and adopted the framework of the Mosaic Approach to focus this study to involve child participants as co-constructors of meaning. The study shows that children prefer to be looked after at home by the community children's nurse. They are able to recognise the knowledge and skills of the community children's nurse, and the study has identified that the community children's nurse empowers children with a chronic illness to enable them to develop the knowledge and skills they require to manage their chronic illness at home. The study highlights the need for more research that includes children as participants and also as co- researchers to ensure that services provided to children are designed to meet needs that the children themselves have identified. |
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| Keywords: |
Nursing, child health, chronic illness |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |