Experiences of Nurses Providing Care to Burned Children Regarding Atraumatic Care Practices: A Qualitative Study
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17915075Keywords:
Atraumatic care, Burn, Child, NurseAbstract
Introduction: In pediatric burn care, atraumatic approaches are crucial to reducing children’s stress, pain, and anxiety, yet nurses’ experiences in this area remain insufficiently explored.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of nurses providing care to burned children regarding atraumatic care practices.
Method: This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted between March-July 2025 in the pediatric surgery department of training and research hospital in western Turkey. Fifteen nurses who had at least one year of experience in pediatric burn care were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via in-depth individual interviews using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using inductive content analysis with the support of MAXQDA software.
Results: Analysis revealed one main theme, “Atraumatic Care for Injured Children,” comprising three categories and thirteen codes. Nurses reported employing strategies such as distraction, breastfeeding for infants, collaboration with families, providing age-appropriate explanations, and understanding children’s emotions during painful procedures like burn dressing. These practices were perceived to reduce fear and stress, decrease pain perception, alleviate psychological trauma, enhance treatment compliance, foster a sense of security, and increase patient-family satisfaction. Additionally, nurses recommended increasing the availability of distraction tools (e.g., toys, bubble machines, audiovisual devices) and arranging child-friendly physical environments to strengthen atraumatic care practices.
Conclusion: Atraumatic care is a key nursing approach that supports both the physical and psychological well-being of burned children. To improve care quality, it is recommended to provide supportive resources, increase the number of distraction tools, and design child-friendly care environments.
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