Supporting families of technology-dependent patients hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Having a child hospitalized in the PICU is a stressful event and may be even worse for parents when their child is technology dependent. These parents are often experts at knowing their child, are used to being strong caregivers and advocates for their child, and may experience long-term sorrow or grief over their child's lifespan. Although there is little research about effective PICU nursing interventions for this parent group, several suggestions can be inferred. Armed with this knowledge, the PICU nurse can be instrumental in helping these parents decrease their stress and improve coping skills not only for dealing with the child's PICU stay but also for improving their experiences at home.