The experience of families with the home care of children after spinal fusion surgery

SummaryThe lack of evidence on appropriate discharge planning preparations, specifically for spinal fusion surgery patients, has led the orthopaedic nursing team to ask: How can we better prepare families to care for their child following discharge home? A descriptive case study design was used. A non-probability, convenience sample of English speaking parents was selected. Inclusion criteria included parents of children up to 18 years of age who had spinal fusion surgery.Six mothers participated in the study. Although mothers stated that the overall experience of caring for their child at home was generally good, the care-giving tasks they faced were complex and time consuming. The hospital discharge and home care experience comprised two main themes: challenges and resources. The results highlight the complex reasoning and behavioural processes required of caregivers. Mothers perceived that they were expected to be proficient caregivers to their child; however, they also felt that some of these expectations were beyond their level of expertise. Mothers developed information seeking strategies as a way to address their learning needs. Clinical implications such as starting the discharge process earlier, incorporating teaching at the bedside, and recognizing the special needs of out-of-town families were discussed.