Aim: To explore parental experiences and perceptions of healthcare education during critical childhood illness.Methods: Thirty-one parents whose children participated in an educational project while in paediatric intensive care were given mixed qualitative and quantitative questionnaires regarding their involvement in education. Seven parents subsequently participated in semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data.Results: 30/31 parents returned completed questionnaires (response rate 97%). Parents' experiences were overwhelmingly positive. The main factor influencing participation was a sense of altruism. Parents reported unanticipated benefits, including increased understanding of their child's condition. All 30 parents would allow their child to be involved in education in the future.Conclusions: Parents of critically ill children have an overwhelmingly positive attitude towards healthcare education, and all parents in this mixed-methods study would allow their children to participate in education in the future. Parents did not feel that their children's critical condition affected their decision to participate, with the main driving factors being altruism and wanting to repay the staff for their care, as well as a recognition of the importance of healthcare education. Further research should focus on parental understanding of postgraduate education, and responses from parents who refuse consent for educational activities.

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