Nursing theories developed to meet children’s needs: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE: To map the nursing theories developed to meet children’s needs. METHOD: The JBI methodology and the PRISMA guided this scoping review. The search took place between October and November 2021, based on the PCC mnemonic: P (Population) – a child aged 0 to 9 years; C (Concept) – nursing theories; C (Context) – nursing. RESULTS: We identified 2,242 publications and selected 21 manuscripts consisting of nursing theories to meet children’s feeding needs, child pain, a child with asthma, diabetes, obesity, epilepsy, Congenital Zika Syndrome, autism spectrum disorder; theory for care in Intensive Care Units; health promotion to premature babies; procedures in Intensive Care Units; theory for nursing diagnosis ineffective breathing pattern in children with congenital heart disease; sleep associated with child development; parent-child interaction; nurse-child relationship; and child’s consultation. CONCLUSION: The nursing theories mapped have the potential to outline the course of nursing care to children’s needs highlighted in the studies that made up the sample.