Nurses’ experiences of giving care to children with autism spectrum disorder within somatic emergency care

• Aims: To describe nurses’ experiences of giving care to children with autism spectrum disorder in a paediatric emergency care unit and to explore how the nurses had obtained their knowledge of the subject.Background: Within somatic paediatric care, nurses frequently encounter children with autism spectrum disorder. Many parents of these children report a lack of knowledge about the diagnosis and difficulties in encounters with somatic care. According to Patricia Benner’s theory of learning, a skill is developed through education, tutoring and experience.Design: A qualitative interview study. Method: Semi-structured interviews were held with ten nurses during the spring of 2015. Data was analysed by content analysis to find categories and codes corresponding to the study’s aims.Findings: The findings present information regarding: 1) knowledge and experience; 2) the context in which the child finds itself, as well as an unsafe working environment for the nurses; 3) how the treatment and care of the child, among other things, is affected by information given by the parents about the diagnosis, and how the nurses feel in difficult situations; 4) interaction with the children, the parents and colleagues. The findings in this study mainly show the complexity in encounters with children with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and that nurses require further education. The nurses also give a number of suggestions for improvements that well concur with the literature.Conclusion: To be able to care well for children with autism spectrum disorder, a combination of knowledge and experience is necessary.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Children

Autism Spectrum Diagnosis

Emergency Care

Nursing

Interviews

Caring Sciences

Vårdvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)