How Do Hospitalized Adolescents Feel Safe? A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

The feeling of safety makes an important contribution to the sense of well-being and quality of care for hospitalized adolescents, who are at a higher risk of feeling unsafe. Feeling unsafe during hospitalization may have a negative impact on recovery. Nurses must be sensitive to the possibility that patients feel unsafe, even in the absence of obvious direct physical threat.

PURPOSE

This study explores the experiences of hospitalized adolescents to obtain an understanding of psychological safety.

METHODS

A qualitative study using unstructured interviews was conducted to explore the sense of psychological safety of hospitalized adolescents aged 12-18 years and registered in a general medical or surgical pediatric unit. Purposive sampling was used to recruit new qualified participants until data saturation was reached (N = 16).

RESULTS

Psychological safety is reflected by the four themes of receiving comprehensive support, protection of human dignity, relaxing environment, and attempts to adapt.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalized adolescents stated that healthcare services should provide comprehensive support in a relaxing environment that allows them to retain their human dignity and that elicits feelings of psychological safety.