PROSPECTIVE-STUDY ON HOW PEDIATRIC INTENS IVE-CARE NURSES DEAL WITH CARING FOR CHILDREN ADMITTED AFTER ATTEMPTED-SUICIDE

Pediatric intensive care units use sophisticated medical technology an d are staffed by deeply committed nurses who are subjected to signific ant psychological stress. This stress varies with the type of patient and influences the style and quality of care. With this respect, child ren and adolescents admitted after a suicidal attempt are considered c atalysts. However, there have been no systematic studies of how pediat ric intensive care nurses respond emotionally to their interactions wi th these patients. This epidemiological study conducted in five Parisi an Teaching Hospital pediatric intensive care units used a specially d esigned questionnaire to evaluate nurses' responses on the basis of st yle of care. Children under 16 years of age admitted after attempted s uicide were studied comparatively with same age children admitted for status asthmaticus or encephalopathy with seizures. Results highlighte d the differences in nurses' psychological responses to these situatio ns and their difficulties in interacting with patients. This study pro vides strict methodological guidelines for investigating an issue ofte n discussed emotionally or on the basis of anecdotal data.