Improving the involvement of siblings in neonatal and paediatric intensive care environments

About the Project

Each year 1 in 6 babies born will be admitted to a neonatal unit for specialist care following birth. Many families are unfamiliar with neonatal units and struggle to transition into the parental role in this strange and unfamiliar environment. For families with older children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit, the interruption to family life is instant and highly distressing. Research highlights the stressful nature of neonatal and paediatric intensive care unit admission, with many parents experiencing stress, anxiety, and post traumatic distress.

Many families will have other children at home who they must also provide care for during this time. Not all neonatal and paediatric intensive care units allow siblings into the ward area, however, creating an instant barrier to bonding and attachment of siblings, potentially resulting in uncertainty and confusion around what is happening. Many families will also struggle to know how to discuss the prognosis of their baby or child with the other children in appropriate way which minimises any additional distress to either the parents, or the child.

The role of the healthcare team in supporting the parents to include their other child/ren has not been widely explored, including what services are already in place to support sibling involvement, resources available, and where this could be improved.

Aim

To explore sibling involvement in neonatal and paediatric intensive care environments, with a focus on services and resources available, and parental and healthcare professional experiences.

Objectives

1. To review service provision across neonatal units and paediatric intensive care units through England
2. To undertake qualitative interviews with parents and healthcare professionals to explore experience of sibling involvement

Methods: This mixed methods study include will a survey, developed with parents and healthcare professionals, to explore current sibling involvement in neonatal and paediatric intensive care units throughout England. This will be supported by semi-structured qualitative interviews with parents and healthcare professionals to explore lived experience, and any barriers or supportive factors.

Proposed impact: we aim to produce service recommendations for sibling involvement in neonatal and paediatric intensive care environments which can be translated into practice. Future research will explore the impact of these recommendations and their translation into practice.

Training opportunities

The student will be based in the well-respected School of Healthcare at the University of Leicester. We have a highly collaborative working environment, with weekly seminar or journal clubs to discuss new and emerging research. The student will have access to high-quality training through the University of Leicester’s masterclass series which is designed to provide all students with strong foundations in research methods. We will also introduce to student to external organisations (e.g., Health Data Research East Midlands) to enhance their collaborations and opportunities.

Supervisor contact details:

Dr Katie Gallagher, kg311@le.ac.uk
Dr Sarah Seaton, ses26@leicester.ac.uk
Prof Joseph Manning, jcm58@leicester.ac.uk