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Fever management practises: What pediatric nurses say
Author(s) -
Edwards Helen E.,
Courtney Mary D.,
Wilson Jennifer E.,
Monaghan Sarah J.,
Walsh Anne M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1046/j.1442-2018.2001.00083.x
Subject(s) - irritability , evening , medicine , antipyretic , family medicine , febrile seizure , nursing , psychiatry , anxiety , epilepsy , physics , astronomy , analgesic
Pediatric nurses manage fevers in hospitalized children daily: a complex practise. The present study identified varied decision‐making criteria and inconsistent practise influenced by many external variables. Nurses perform comprehensive assessments in order to make informed decisions. However, factors influencing their practise include medical orders, the temperament of the child, a history of febrile convulsions, parental requests, colleagues and ward norms. Nurses have a ‘temperature’ at which they consider a child febrile (37.2–39.0°C) and many reported a ‘temperature’ at which they administered antipyretics (37.5–39.0°C). Antipyretics were administered to febrile children for pain relief, irritability, at the request of parents and to settle a child for the night. Administration was reported to be higher during the day and evening shifts, at medication rounds and when the ward was busy. At night, nurses were reluctant to wake a sleeping febrile child, preferring to observe them instead. Recommendations to promote consistent fever management practises are included.