Journal of pediatric nursing
-
Pediatric early warning score (PEWS) systems are used to monitor pediatric patients' vital signs and facilitate the treatment of patients at risk of deteriorating. The aim of this study was to gain knowledge about nurses' experiences with PEWS and to highlight factors facilitating and impeding the use of PEWS tools in clinical practice. ⋯ Our findings suggest that attention should be given to nurses' perceptions of how both clinical judgment and PEWS should be seen as essential in providing nurses with information about the patients' conditions. If not, the risk of failing to recognize patients' deteriorating conditions will remain as this can have an impeding influence on nurses' use of PEWS. From the nurses' perspective, medical doctors seemed unaware of their role in using PEWS.