Discharge Plan for Parents having Children Suffering from Head Trauma

Abstract

Background: Effective discharge planning is a vital component to maintain care continuity for head trauma
pediatric patient. Despite this, there is a critical gap in the process and quality of discharge planning in Egypt.
Aim of this studywas to assess the effect of discharge plan on parents having children suffering from head
trauma.
Design: A quasi- experimental design was used.
Settings: This study was conducted in Emergency Department, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and
Neurological Department at children Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University and El-Menshawy Hospital
in Tanta affiliated to Ministry of Health.
Subject: A convenient sample consist of 40 parents accompanied their children suffering from head trauma
who attended in the previously mentioned settings.
Tools: 1)- Pre-designed questionnaire sheet which included two parts: part I: concerned with characteristics
of studied parents and characteristics of the studied children,Part II: knowledge of the parents regarding
caring of their children suffering from head trauma, 2)- Observational check list and 3)- Child Medical
Record.
Results: All of studied parents reported that no one gave them any information about head trauma. There was
a marked improvement in parents’ knowledge and reported practices post implementation of discharge plan.
There were strong positive correlations between studied parents’ total knowledge and their total reported
practices related to care of children after head trauma pre/post discharge plan.There was highly statistical
significance difference between parents’ total knowledge regarding care of head trauma in children and
their level of education post implementation of discharge plan. There was statistical significance difference
between parents’ total reported practices regarding care of head trauma in children and their level of education
post implementation of discharge plan.
Conclusion: All of research hypothesis were accepted and implementation of discharge plan led to significant
improvements in parents’ knowledge and reported practices regarding care of their children suffering from
head trauma.

Recommendations: Discharge plan for all parents having children suffering from head trauma must begin
with parents at their first day of admission.