Abstract
Objective:
To describe the needs of hospitalized children’s caregivers during their stay at the infirmary, to analyze the strategies the caregivers use to satisfy these needs.
Methods:
Qualitative study. The concepts of Human Motivation Theory and Family Care were used. The data collection technique was the non-directive group interview and the analysis was thematic. The study participants were 11 hospitalized children’s caregivers at a pediatric hospital in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.
Results:
Of the five hierarchy levels of basic human needs, most remained on the first level - physiological needs. To fulfill them, participants seek material resources in the support network that exists or was built during the child’s hospitalization.
Conclusion:
To attend to all hierarchy levels, caregivers’ needs have to be attended to, starting with physiological and safety needs and advancing to subsequent levels, which can avoid frustration and the feeling of impotence.
Keywords:
Hospitalized Child; Pediatric Nursing; Social Support