Caregivers’ role regarding managing postoperative pain of hospitalised children (0–3 years)

Abstract

Background: Acute postoperative pain is a common surgical symptom affecting 40% - 80% of patients. Postoperative pain produces much distress in children. Effective postoperative pain management is a human right. Various stakeholders, including caregivers, are involved in the management of children’s postoperative pain. However, the role of the caregiver is accentuated during the child’s discharge, with limited studies focusing on the role during hospitalisation.

Aim: This study aimed to describe how caregivers manage their children’s (0–3 years) postoperative pain during hospitalisation and explore caregivers’ expectations about how their hospitalised children’s postoperative pain is managed.

Setting: The study setting was a regional hospital in Ghana.

Methods: The research employed a descriptive qualitative methodology. Purposive sampling was used to recruit caregivers. Data were collected using individual in-depth interviews. The transcripts were thematically analysed using Clarke and Braun’s framework.

Results: The researchers identified four themes: caregiver’s experiences of caring for children with postoperative pain, caregivers’ assessment of children’s postoperative pain, caregivers’ assistance with management and expectations of the caregivers concerning the management of postoperative pain in their hospitalised children (0–3 years).

Conclusion: Caregivers in this study acknowledged the fact that the postoperative pain experienced by their children had a noteworthy emotional effect on them.

Contribution: Nurses must adequately educate caregivers on managing postoperative pain in hospitalised children (0–3 years). Again, the nurses must be with the child and the caregiver, as this enhances collaboration and adequate postoperative pain management in these children.