The COPE program: a strategy to improve outcomes of critically ill young children and their parents.

Critically ill young children and their parents are subjected to multiple stressors during hospitalization, which may predispose them to short- and long-term negative outcomes. Nurses who care for children who are critically ill and their families during and following their intensive care unit stay must be knowledgeable of the impact of a child's critical illness on the family and factors influencing adjustment to the stressful experience. Knowledge of these issues is essential in planning effective intervention strategies to enhance coping outcomes in this population. This article (a) discusses how young children and their parents are affected by critical illness; (b) outlines major sources of stress for families; (c) identifies factors influencing coping outcomes; and (d) describes the COPE program, a newly devised early intervention program for critically ill young children and their parents.