American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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In pediatric critical care, family-centered care is a central theme that ensures holistic care of the patient and the patient's family. Parents expect and are encouraged to be involved in the care of their child throughout all phases of the child's illness. Family presence is generally accepted when the child's condition is stable; however, there is less consensus about family presence when the child becomes critically ill and requires resuscitation and/or invasive procedures. ⋯ These studies support the suggestion that family presence during resuscitation and invasive procedures increases parents' satisfaction and coping. However, the generalizability of these findings is limited by small sample sizes and inconsistent evaluation of confounding variables. Further research is needed to determine the benefits of family presence and prevent barriers to true implementation.