Coping With Disabilities, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Children who are born with disabilities require an expanded level of care and treatment that necessitates a higher level of attention and focus by nurses. This is an important step in advancing nursing-based knowledge regarding the treatment of patients with disabilities. Nurses must be able to obtain the training and resources that are necessary to support children in this category who require significant support and guidance. Children with disabilities must be provided with these tools as early as possible so that the quality of their lives improves with the proper attention and focus. In this capacity, nurses must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of this population and their ability to make immediate decisions regarding disabilities that are in the best interests of patients. The diagnosis of disabilities is critical because treatment and guidance must begin soon after birth so that parents are prepared to manage these conditions effectively. Therefore, nurses must possess the knowledge that is required to address disabilities and provide excellent care and guidance for family members. Nurses must be able to provide a greater sense of emotional support and stability for parents as they wade through the initial shock and dismay of discovering that a child has a disability, as this is an extremely difficult issue to manage (Vacca, 2006). The following discussion will address the role of nurses in providing information and guidance to parents of children with disabilities in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of creating an environment that supports acceptance and understanding so that children are provided with the best possible environment for growth.

Analysis

Parenting is a complex process that requires an understanding of caring for another human being in a nurturing and supportive environment; however, if a child has a disability, there are significant complications that must be considered that require nurse-based education and intervention in order to improve the parental response and attention to the issue (Vacca, 2006). These conditions require an important understanding of the different concerns that may arise with the child after birth and how to accommodate the complex care that the child may require (Vacca, 2006). Many parents experience feelings of despair, loss disbelief, shame, guilt, anger, and a myriad of other emotions that must be considered, and nurses must be active participants in establishing a plan that will effectively accomplish the tasks required to treat a child with a severe disability (Vacca, 2006). Nurse-based education and evaluation is required in order to provide parents with a viable support system to meet their needs effectively and to encourage them to take all possible steps to optimize the care that their children receive in these cases (Vacca, 2006).

For parents of children with disabilities, there are significant requirements that are associated with extensive support and guidance to accommodate the needs of the child on a continuous basis (Whiting, 2014). Children with disabilities require complex levels of care throughout their lives, and this places a significant burden on parents, who are likely to experience frustration and other emotions as a result of these conditions (Whiting, 2014). Nurses must provide a framework that will promote an intervention to meet the needs of patients, while also offering a greater sense of understanding of the disability and how it impacts the family unit (Whiting, 2014). Nurses and other staff members must be available to bridge the gap that is required regarding education for parents and in providing a greater sense of emotional stability that parents require in this environment (Whiting, 2014). This is a process that requires a high level of support and guidance because a child with disabilities necessitates a level of skilled care and attention that other children do not require, and therefore, nurses must play a role in this educational process (Whiting, 2014).

Parents of children with disabilities must be able to demonstrate a high degree of coping because this set of circumstances takes a significant toll on their emotional state (Whiting, 2014). There is a high level of demand to obtain a variety of support services that will be used to accomplish educational outcomes for parents that will enable them to improve their ability to adapt to these situations and to be attentive to the needs of their children without being resentful (Whiting, 2014). In some situations, however, parents may experience a high level of discouragement because of the disability and how it impacts their child’s life and their own lives (Aydin, 2014). These factors require a high degree of support and encouragement from nurses in order to educate parents and to provide them with a high level of understanding of how the disability impacts the lives of their children and their ability to be effective in communicating regarding the areas where the need is greatest (Aydin, 2014). It is important to identify how parents might be encouraged to stimulate their emotional attachment to these children, particularly when they face detachment because of their own responses to the disability (Aydin, 2014). It is important to encourage parents to express their emotions and to recognize the importance of developing a response that is effective and appropriate in order to prevent a lack of attention or focus on the needs of these children (Aydin, 2014). There are considerable advantages associated with a nurse-led intervention in this area because parents may develop difficulties in their ability to cope and to recognize the physical and emotional needs of their children (Aydin, 2014). It is important to identify the resources that are required to ensure that parents receive a high level of attention and focus regarding their needs so that their children receive similar care and attention (Aydin, 2014). This process requires nurses to intervene as necessary so that parents are provided with a framework to promote change and an opportunity to examine the different aspects of care and treatment that will positively impact how parents cope and respond to their children (Aydin, 2014).

Children who are born with disabilities require a high level of care on a regular basis, and as the general public becomes more accepting of these conditions, there is an increased availability of services that support these needs and provide a framework for educating parents regarding the needs of their children in this capacity (Halfon et.al, 2012). Therefore, parents are likely to receive support and encouragement from nurses and other staff members so that their children are well cared for and an understanding of the condition is improved (Halfon et.al, 2012). This strategy will encourage the development of new perspectives to enable parents to better cope with disabilities and to recognize the extent of needs that their children require (Halfon et.al, 2012).

Conclusion

Children with disabilities pose a number of challenges for their parents because these concerns require an ongoing effort to understand the nature of the disability and how to manage the daily routine. As a result, a high level of education is required in order to accomplish these objectives and to demonstrate the importance of creating an environment that embraces change and acceptance of the condition and how it will impact the family unit. Nurses must play an active role in this process and provide education, knowledge, guidance, and support to parents under these conditions so that they are able to demonstrate effective coping skills while also providing the level of attention and support that their children require to ensure that their needs are met on a continuous basis. This process is instrumental in enabling parents to accept the disability and the level of care and attention that is necessary throughout the life span.

References

Aydin, A. (2014). The relations between the acceptance and child-rearing attitudes of parents of children with mental disabilities. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 54, 79-98.

Halfon, N., Houtrow, A., Larson, K., & Newacheck, P.W. (2012). The changing landscape of disability in childhood. The Future of Children, 22(1), 13-42.

Vacca, J.J. (2006). Parent perceptions of raising a child with a severe physical disability: implications for mental health providers. Best Practices in Mental Health, 2(1), 59-73.

Whiting, M. (2014). Support requirements of parents caring for a child with disability and complex health needs. Nursing Children and Young People, 26(4), 24-27.