{"title":"Developing empathy for parents through the use of infant simulation dolls.","authors":"Julia Petty, Lisa Whiting, Sheila Roberts","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1570","DOIUrl":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1570","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The use of simulation can be effective in developing empathy in nursing students. This is particularly valuable in children's nursing where caring for the emotional needs of parents is a fundamental aspect of learning.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To evaluate the use of infant simulation dolls by students undertaking a BSc (Hons) nursing (child) programme in one university in England, and to assess their value in simulation-based learning and in students' development of empathy with the parenting experience.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Thirty-seven first-year students were each provided with an infant simulation doll to care for at home for one week. Following completion of the simulation experience, 18 students completed an online survey comprising closed questions with free-text space for expanding on their answers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed thematically.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Five themes emerged: practical use of the doll; views and value of the experience; preparation for and relevance to clinical placement practice; development of empathy for parents; and ideas for other potential uses. Overall, the respondents reported that the simulation experience was positive and provided them with a greater understanding of the demands and emotional toll of parenting. Some respondents highlighted technical challenges with the software and the limited realism of infant simulation dolls.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Infant simulation dolls can enhance empathy and reflective learning in children's nursing students, supporting family-centred practice and complementing traditional educational approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":"25-33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146143800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fever in young children: an overview of physiology, assessment and advice to parents.","authors":"Sheila Roberts","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1584","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1584","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fever is common in children and a common reason why they present to healthcare services. In many cases, fever in a child is caused by a mild, self-limiting infection, but it can sometimes indicate a serious condition requiring urgent treatment. Fever in a child tends to cause concern for their parents, who are often keen to reduce it; however, fever has an important role in boosting the immune response to infection. Understanding the mechanisms and manifestations of fever in children is crucial for children's nurses to provide optimal care to patients and explain to parents how to care for a febrile child at home. This article provides an overview of thermoregulation and the physiology and role of fever. It also discusses the assessment of children presenting with fever, as well as the education and advice that nurses can give to parents.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148296853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pain assessment in children and young people with developmental disabilities: a scoping review.","authors":"Joanne Self, Natasha Spassiani","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1565","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1565","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Paediatric pain has been identified in the literature as being undertreated and often misdiagnosed. This article details a scoping review that aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to using pain assessment tools for children and young people with developmental disabilities. Two themes were identified as barriers to pain assessment: inexperience of healthcare professionals; and a lack of education for healthcare professionals. Two themes were identified as facilitators of pain assessment: parental assistance and knowledge; and education and training for healthcare professionals. The scoping review identified a significant gap in research into pain assessment for children and young people with developmental disabilities, particularly those receiving care in a hospice setting. The authors also explore how improvements can be made to practice to ensure equitable healthcare delivery for this group.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148200264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Efficacy of video-based resources for educating young people with chronic long-term conditions: a literature review.","authors":"Moira Gibbons, Heather Elphick","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1582","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1582","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The UK has among the highest mortality rates in Europe for young people with asthma, with inadequate patient education cited as a contributing factor. This literature review aimed to explore the efficacy of video-based resources for educating young people about their chronic long-term condition. Ten studies were reviewed, most of which were randomised controlled trials, and seven of which were conducted in outpatient settings in the US by the same research collaborative. The findings show that, although video-based educational interventions improved participants' knowledge about their condition, these were not superior to other educational approaches. Further, no consistent improvement in medicine adherence, disease control or quality of life was demonstrated. Video-based education for young people appears to be most effective when used to support healthcare professional-led education rather than as a standalone intervention. Nurses and other healthcare professionals should incorporate structured education into consultations with young people and use a range of resources to ensure that their differing needs are met.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147989392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annabel Crompton, Jessica Robson, Catherine Renwick, Emily Ellis, Danielle Poole
{"title":"Childhood arrhythmias: diagnosis, management and nursing care.","authors":"Annabel Crompton, Jessica Robson, Catherine Renwick, Emily Ellis, Danielle Poole","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1554","DOIUrl":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1554","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Childhood arrhythmias are relatively rare but can present with a wide range of symptoms, depending on the type of arrhythmia, the child's age and the presence of underlying cardiac conditions. This article provides an overview of the most common childhood arrhythmias, exploring diagnostic methods and outlining treatment options. It also highlights key 'red flag' symptoms requiring urgent referral and the role of nurses in assessment, management, education and long-term support of affected children and their families. Understanding arrhythmias, recognising when to escalate care and delivering age-appropriate information are essential for improving outcomes and ensuring safe, effective nursing care.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":"32-42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145588693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Coping mechanisms used by nurses caring for dying children: a literature review.","authors":"Hope Aimee Barton","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1566","DOIUrl":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1566","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Witnessing traumatic events such as the death and dying of patients without adequate support can have a negative effect on patient care and clinician well-being. This qualitative literature review aimed to explore and identify the coping mechanisms used by nurses who care for children who are dying or have died. Understanding these mechanisms is essential to inform clinical practice, reduce psychological strain and improve the quality of care. Coping mechanisms were categorised into three main themes: organisational, adaptive and maladaptive. Maladaptive strategies, despite their negative psychological consequences, were the most frequently reported, particularly in high-stress environments such as paediatric intensive care units. This pattern may reflect environmental or cultural factors that limit the use of more adaptive strategies. Further UK-based primary research is required to assess the effectiveness of these mechanisms and ensure their relevance to the NHS and children's nursing practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":"25-31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145483371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Promoting innovation in children's nurse education: the Welcome to Our World project.","authors":"Lisa Ford, Kris Fernandes, Alison Taylor","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1567","DOIUrl":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1567","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The availability of community practice placements for children's nursing students has come under pressure due to workforce constraints, such as staff shortages, and the ongoing effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has limited students' access to clinical environments. This service evaluation details a pilot project where the authors co-designed, with parent service users, and implemented a novel approach to practice placements for registered nurse degree apprenticeship (RNDA) in child nursing students. The Welcome to Our World project linked students with a family for an eight-week period to enable the students to learn about children's unique needs from parents who are 'experts by experience'. Evaluation of the project demonstrated numerous benefits for the students and the families involved, and expanded local practice placement capacity, thereby reducing the pressure on traditional practice placement settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":"18-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145757709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meira Erawati, Sari Sudarmiati, Elsa Naviati, Annisa Alwi Siregar, Athiya Nadia Yaniarsi
{"title":"Influence of family support and sociodemographic factors on anxiety levels among young people in Semarang, Indonesia.","authors":"Meira Erawati, Sari Sudarmiati, Elsa Naviati, Annisa Alwi Siregar, Athiya Nadia Yaniarsi","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1581","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1581","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There have been concerning trends in the prevalence of anxiety among young people worldwide in recent years. Research into the influence of family support and sociodemographic factors on anxiety in young people has been conducted in various countries.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To investigate the influence of family support and sociodemographic factors on anxiety levels among young people in Semarang, Indonesia.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This quantitative study used a cross-sectional approach and descriptive correlational design. The sample comprised 421 young people aged 16-18 years from four schools selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected via a sociodemographic questionnaire, the 'family' subscale of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. Statistical data analysis was conducted using Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>About one third of participants (34%) experienced mild anxiety and about one half (52%) received good family support. Statistical analysis showed statistically significant associations between gender and anxiety (with girls more prone to anxiety than boys) and between family support and anxiety (family support being a protective factor for young people's mental health).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results can inform the development of targeted, gender-responsive interventions, including counselling, psychoeducation and emotional support. Integrating a gender perspective and fostering positive parent involvement may enhance the prevention, early detection and management of anxiety among young people.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Equitable and high-quality practice learning for children's nursing students.","authors":"Fiona Helen Cust, Melanie Hayward, Nicola Jose","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2026.e1578","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clinical placements provide essential practice learning for undergraduate nursing students in the UK and are central to fulfilling the Nursing and Midwifery Council's regulatory requirements. For children's nursing students, the quality and suitability of placements are particularly important, given the complexity of caring for children and young people across a range of settings. This article explores the current practice learning landscape for children's nursing students and examines some of the challenges that affect its quality, such as limited availability of placements, staffing shortages and variability in the quality of supervision. The authors highlight the importance of addressing these challenges to provide children's nursing students with learning experiences that adequately prepare them for practice and ensure the future sustainability of the children's nursing workforce.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stress and resilience in children's nursing: a review of the evidence.","authors":"Caroline Clark","doi":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1560","DOIUrl":"10.7748/ncyp.2025.e1560","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stress, depression or anxiety accounts for nearly half of all work-related ill health in the UK, with the nursing profession recognised as being at increased risk of stress and burnout. While stress in nursing is linked to workload, acuity and team dynamics, children's nurses experience additional unique stressors, including caring for children who are critically ill or dying and dealing with anxious parents, secondary traumatic stress and complex interactions with families. Resilience - defined as the ability to adapt and recover from adversity - is a key protective factor, yet most existing research on this topic focuses on adult and mental health fields of nursing. This article reviews the limited literature on stress and resilience in children's nursing, highlighting gaps in the evidence, the influence of individual and environmental factors on resilience and the need for workplace strategies that promote nurses' psychological well-being. The author is undertaking a doctoral study to address these gaps and develop an evidence base tailored to this workforce.</p>","PeriodicalId":38902,"journal":{"name":"Nursing children and young people","volume":" ","pages":"20-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144875763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}