Promoção de competências na parentalidade

: a criança/família em transição

Abstract

A nurse specialized in Child Healthcare and Paediatrics takes care of the child/family in various contexts and in different moments of their life cycle. During his carrier, this healthcare professional will have to deal with moments of transition in the lives of children and their families. These transitions may imply significant changes in the day-to-day lives of those involved. The nurse must help the child and her family to cope with these moments of transition, in what regards to both parenthood and healthcare. Dealing with transition implies that nurses have to acquire more knowledge, develop new skills and strategies, even playing a new role. As I describe my professional development during different internships, this report has helped me to meditate on the skills needed to a nurse specialized in Child Healthcare and Paediatrics. In Module I, held at Unity Family Health Ramada, the focus of attention was the transition to parenthood. In Module II, held at the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology HSM, the focus was the health-illness transition. In Module III, conducted in the Department of Neonatology of the HSM, the focus was again the transition to parenthood, and ER Pediatric HSM focus of attention was the health-illness transition. In all internships there was a common goal: promote parental skills, within the scope of the procedures expected from the nurse specialized in Child Healthcare and Paediatrics, as he provides healthcare to child and family in transition. The approach to this theme was based on the Afaf Meleis’ Theory of Transition; this was used to guide and support the nursing interventions. According to this theory, when people experience health changes, they go through a period of transition that makes them more vulnerable, affecting their quality of life. The bibliographic review was focused on the research question: What role does the nurse play in developing parental skills? It is very important that the nurse acknowledges the difficulties experienced by the parents, as they take care of their sick child. The nurse’s role is to facilitate the parents’ adaptation to the situation, promoting their parenting skills, in order to develop the child’s autonomy.

Date of Award	18 Jul 2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Margarida Lourenço (Supervisor)