Aims and objectivesTo explore the home care experiences of caregivers taking care of CHD children before and after cardiac surgery.BackgroundDespite the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in childhood, little is known about the experiences and impacts on the children and their caregivers after CHD diagnosis and surgery. Such knowledge is needed for meaningful support.DesignA qualitative descriptive study.MethodsTwenty-two caregivers of CHD children undergoing cardiac surgery participated in semi-structured interviews at a University Children’s Hospital in China. Data were collected by an experienced and trained interviewer. Qualitative content analysis was chosen to describe the experiences of the caregivers.ResultsCaregivers of CHD children experienced significant demands. After the children underwent their CHD operations, the caregivers experienced complex psychological feelings and excessive stress impacting upon theirlives. In addition, caregivers constantly adapted their roles with self-fulfillment in caring activities.ConclusionsCHD surgery has a major impact on the emotions and daily lives of children and their caregivers. This study offers a framework for understanding the importance of actively listening to caregivers so coping strategies can be implemented.Relevance to clinical practiceTheexperiencesdescribed in this study contribute to a better understanding of the needs of caregivers whose children underwent CHD operations. They also provide valuable information to professional medical care staff that developfuture nursing assessments.

AIM This study aimed to evaluate effects of kangaroo care on pain relief in premature infants during painful procedures. Design A meta‐analysis. Methods Eight databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine [CBM], China Science and Technology Journal Database [CSTJ], China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], and WanFang Data) were systematically reviewed from inception to November 2021 for randomized controlled and crossover trials. Results Thirteen studies, including 2311 infants (kangaroo care: 1153, control: 1158) were analyzed. Kangaroo care had a moderate effect on pain relief during painful procedures in premature infants at a gestational age of 32–36 + 6 weeks but no effect at 28–31 + 6 weeks. Furthermore, 15 or 30 min of kangaroo care had a moderate effect and could markedly relieve pain at the instant of and 30/60 s after, had a small effect at 90 s after, and no effect at 120 s after the procedure. Practice Implications Kangaroo care may be an effective nonpharmacologic alternative therapy to relieve procedural pain in premature infants born at a gestational age of 32–36 + 6 weeks.

A preterm infant is a baby born before 37 weeks of gestation.According to data from the World Health Organization, each year, more than 15 million infants are born preterm worldwide, and about 10% of these or about 1,170,000 preterm infants are born in China (Zou et al., 2014). Because of their physical immaturity, preterm infants have a high incidence of complications such as hypoglycaemia, apnoea, infection, feeding difficulties, necrotizing enterocolitis and anaemia (Caldas et al., 2018). Preterm infants are usually admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after birth. To prevent cross infection, the NICU of children's hospital restricts parents' visits to their children. There are webcams in the ward, and caregivers can use the hospital visiting machine to see their children. Preterm infants can only be discharged when their condition meets the following discharge criteria: stable vital signs; corrected gestational age of 34 weeks; weight greater than 2,000 g along with continuous growth; complete oral feeding; stable temperature and vital signs at room temperature; and if a disease is present, full recovery from the disease or partial recovery until treatment at home is acceptable (Picone et al., 2011). Compared with their peers, preterm children require more intensive care after discharge, which can be challenging and causes considerable stress for the parents and other caregivers (Msall, 2019). The parents of preterm infants often experience more severe negative emotional reactions and psychological pressures than those experienced by the parents of healthy full-term infants, and thus, they require ongoing care and

Aim To describe the nursing experiences and care needs of family caregivers caring for neonates with enterostomies in China. Design A qualitative study. Methods We conducted semi‐structured interviews with family caregivers who care for neonates undergoing enterostomy. Family caregivers were selected using a purposive sampling method from three children's hospitals until no new data were generated (N = 26). Data analysis applied the thematic analysis method. The caregivers' experiences were described using qualitative content analysis. Results The experience of family caregivers was described as growing in adaptation, where five main themes emerged: (1) complex emotional responses; (2) uncertainty about everything; (3) lack of confidence, anxiety and helplessness; (4) eagerness for professional support; (5) active adaptation, gain‐harvest and gain‐growth. These findings increased understanding and added knowledge on this topic that is rarely studied in China. Healthcare authorities and professionals should recognize and understand the lives and situations of family caregivers (whose neonates undergo enterostomy) to better identify their difficulties and needs.

Background: Considering cancer death is second only to accidental death in the number of lives claimed each year,nurses in paediatric oncology wards often experience helplessness, sadness, frustration and such other adverse emotions when they witness children’s death due to cancer.However,there is a lack of qualitative studies on nurses who witness the death of children in paediatric oncology wards in China. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses in the paediatric oncology wards at three children’s hospitals in Jiangsu,China,between January and June 2019.A total of 22 paediatric oncology ward nurses (18 female and 4male) aged between 26 and 39 years were enrolled. A previously developed and pilot-tested interview guide was used for the interviews. The number of interviews was determined by data saturation.Results: Nurses in paediatric oncology wards have strong stress responses to facing the death of children. They reported experiencing complex psychological feelings and have different coping attitudes. Nursing managers should pay attention to problems faced by nurses in paediatric oncology wards, and take targeted measures in terms of continuing training courses, improving the psychological adaptability of oncology professional nurses, and providing them substantive support.Conclusion: The findings of this study increase the knowledge and understanding regarding a seldom-studied topic in China. Healthcare authorities should recognise and understand the needs of paediatric oncology ward nurses,who often witness the death of children.Appropriate and effective support measures should be planned and implemented for these nurses to maintain their mental health, thus enabling them to better serve patients.