Parents' experiences of being responsible for painful procedures (the PEAPIP project)

SPRU research team

• Gemma Spiers
• Bryony Beresford
• Susan Clarke

Background

Sometimes caring for a child with a long-term health condition requires parents to undertake responsibility for carrying out painful and/or invasive health or nursing procedures.  These procedures could include, for example, passing nasogastric tubes, giving injections, or anal irrigation. 

We know very little about parents’ experiences of taking on this responsibility and carrying out these procedures on a routine basis.  It is important to understand this, and how parents want to be supported when faced with this responsibility.  

Aim

The purpose of this study is to explore and better understand these issues.

Methods

Through interviews with parents, the research will address the following questions:

• What are parents’ experiences of administering painful and/or invasive nursing procedures as part of caring for an ill child?
• What do parents believe are the impacts, or consequences of having this responsibility; on the child, themselves, and other family members?
• How do parents want to be supported with this responsibility, both at the point of being trained and prepared to undertake such procedures, and in the longer-term?

Towards the end of the project, we will hold a consultation event with paediatric practitioners to feedback and discuss the research findings, consider implications for practice, and identify future research priorities based on the emerging findings. Once the project is complete there will be a project report and other downloadable resources available here.

Publications and presentations

All publications and presentations will appear on the York Research Database please click the link to view them.

Additional information