Application of narrative nursing in the families of children with biliary atresia: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Narrative nursing is an important clinical nursing intervention model. It is the practice of patient storytelling to share the essence of nursing. The current clinical intervention for biliary atresia (BA) mainly focuses on disease treatment and does not pay enough attention to the psychological state of family members. AIM: To explore the application value of narrative nursing in the families of children with BA. METHODS: Sixty-four family members of children with BA in our hospital from December 2017 to October 2020 were retrospectively included and were divided into a study group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32). The control group was provided with routine nursing, while the study group was given narrative nursing on the basis of the control group. The scores of mood state (depression and anxiety), family members’ nursing ability, perceived stress, and nursing job satisfaction of the children’s families were calculated before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Before intervention, there was no significant difference in the self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale scores between groups (P > 0.05). After intervention, the self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group (both P = 0.000). Before intervention, the study group adjusted life to meet care needs, evaluated family members and social resources, dealt with personal emotions, responded to needs, and provided assistance, and the adaptive care role scores were not significantly different from those in the control group (P = 0.802, 0.819, 0.694, 0.796, and 0.686, respectively). After intervention, all scores were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (all P < 0.0001). Before intervention, there was no significant difference in the child post-traumatic stress disorder symptom score (CPSS) score between groups (P = 0.615). After intervention, the CPSS scores were significantly lower than those before intervention in both groups and lower in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.0001). Nursing job satisfaction of the family members of the study group (93.75%) was higher than that of the control group (75.00%) (P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Narrative nursing with family members of children with BA can effectively alleviate negative emotions, reduce perceptual pressure, and improve nursing ability. Additionally, family members are more satisfied with nursing work.