Abstract
Background
Nurses provide comprehensive, person-centred care to patients of all ages with any condition to save and protect lives. Caring for children under 5 years with burns involves high-level skills, agility and stable emotions. This study sought to explore nurses’ experience when managing children under five years with burns at the burns unit of a teaching hospital in Ghana.
Methods
An exploratory, descriptive qualitative approach was used with a purposive sampling method to recruit 15 participants at saturation from the Burns Unit. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. With participants’ consent, their voices were audio-recorded. Data were transcribed verbatim after the researchers listened to the audios several times. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis.
Results
Narratives of the nurses were represented as emotional experiences, challenges and coping strategies associated with caring for children with burn injury. Mental representation of care task, grief and sadness, helplessness and impatience were identified as the emotional experiences. Increased workload, lack of adequate motivation and shortage of hospital supplies were the main challenges. Teamwork, good working relations, effective work-life balance and emotional detachment were the coping strategies the nurses adopted.
Conclusion
This study highlighted the experiences of nurses caring for children under five years with burns. The work environment of nurses created stress and increased the burden of care. Nurses need support to recognise and manage their physical, emotional and social responses to their work. In addition, periodic staff training must be promoted to boost staff confidence and enhance their efficiency on the job.
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