Work-Sampling Study of an Innovative Care Coordination Program Aimed at Children With Chronic Health Conditions.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: To estimate time allocation and labor cost for care coordinators (CCs), community health workers (CHWs), and mental health workers (MHWs) to conduct care coordination tasks in a pediatric care coordination program. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING: A public tertiary academic medical center in Chicago, IL. METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE: A work-sampling study was conducted using a text message-based survey on 5 CCs, 20 CHWs, and 4 MHWs who volunteered to participate. Workers were randomly sampled within working hours to collect information on who was the subject of interaction and what service was being delivered over a 6-month period. Time allocation of workers to different subjects and services was summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Care coordinators allocated 41% of their time to managing CHW teams. Community health workers allocated 37% of time providing services directly to children and 26% to the parent/caregiver. Mental health workers allocated 16% of time providing services to children and 29% to the parent/caregiver. The care coordination program serviced 5,965 patients, with a total annual labor cost of $1,455,353. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Community health workers spent the majority of time working with patients and their families to conduct assessments. Mental health workers primarily addressed children's needs through their caregivers. Care coordinators primarily supported CHWs in coordinating care. Results may be used to inform development of such programs by determining services most often utilized, and labor cost may be used to inform program implementation and reimbursement.

The pervasive relevance of COVID-19 within routine paediatric palliative care consultations during the pandemic: A conversation analytic study.

BACKGROUND: The importance of caring for children with complex and serious conditions means that paediatric palliative care must continue during pandemics. The recent pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provides a natural experiment to study health communication during pandemic times. However, it is unknown how communication within consultations might change during pandemics. AIM: This study, a sub-study of a larger project, aimed to examine real-world instances of communication in paediatric palliative care consultations prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how clinicians and families talk about the pandemic. DESIGN: Paediatric palliative care consultations prior to, during, and immediately following the initial peak of COVID-19 cases in Australia were video recorded and analysed using Conversation Analysis methods. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five paediatric palliative care consultations (including face-to-face outpatient, telehealth outpatient and inpatient consultations) were video recorded within a public children's hospital in Australia. Participants included 14 health professionals, 15 child patients, 23 adult family members and 5 child siblings. RESULTS: There was a pervasive relevance of both serious and non-serious talk about COVID-19 within the consultations recorded during the pandemic. Topics typical of a standard paediatric palliative care consultation often led to discussion of the pandemic. Clinicians (55%) and parents (45%) initiated talk about the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should not be surprised by the pervasiveness of COVID-19 or other pandemic talk within standard paediatric palliative care consultations. This awareness will enable clinicians to flexibly address family needs and concerns about pandemic-related matters that may impact health and wellbeing.

Reducing Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care for Respiratory Illness.

BACKGROUND: One-third of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions for pediatric acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are inappropriate. We evaluated a distance learning program's effectiveness for reducing outpatient antibiotic prescribing for ARTI visits. METHODS: In this stepped-wedge clinical trial run from November 2015 to June 2018, we randomly assigned 19 pediatric practices belonging to the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network or the NorthShore University HealthSystem to 4 wedges. Visits for acute otitis media, bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory infection for children 6 months to <11 years old without recent antibiotic use were included. Clinicians received the intervention as 3 program modules containing online tutorials and webinars on evidence-based communication strategies and antibioti c prescribing, booster video vignettes, and individualized antibiotic prescribing feedback reports over 11 months. The primary outcome was overall antibiotic prescribing rates for all ARTI visits. Mixed-effects logistic regression compared prescribing rates during each program module and a postintervention period to a baseline control period. Odds ratios were converted to adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) for interpretability. RESULTS: Among 72 723 ARTI visits by 29 762 patients, intention-to-treat analyses revealed a 7% decrease in the probability of antibiotic prescribing for ARTI overall between the baseline and postintervention periods (aRR 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.96). Second-line antibiotic prescribing decreased for streptococcal pharyngitis (aRR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50-0.87) and sinusitis (aRR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.44-0.77) but not for acute otitis media (aRR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.83-1.03). Any antibiotic prescribing decreased for viral ARTIs (aRR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.51-0.70). CONCLUSIONS: This program reduced antibiotic prescribing during outpatient ARTI visits; broader dissemination may be beneficial.

Effects of Nonpharmacologic Distraction Methods on Children's Postoperative Pain-A Nonmatched Case-Control Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether nonpharmacologic distraction as a supplement to conventional pain management can reduce children's assessment of pain in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and if parental assessment is a reliable proxy in assessing children's postoperative pain. DESIGN: A nonmatched case-control study. METHODS: The sample included 241 children aged 2 to 7 years assigned to one of five intervention groups or a control group. Children's and parents' assessments of pain were registered on arrival to PACU and repeated after 15, 30, and 45 minutes using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. FINDINGS: Positive effects of interventions were found in both children's and parental assessments. Results indicate a positive correlation between children's and parental assessments in children older than 3 years (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Nonpharmacologic distraction is recommended as a supplement to conventional postoperative pain management. Parental assessment is a reliable proxy in assessing postoperative pain in children younger than 5 years.

Primary school children's participation in selecting children's nursing students.

Despite the importance of seeking children's views in healthcare being widely recognised, there are few reports of child service user involvement in selecting children's nursing students. At Oxford Brookes University, the children's nursing team has had three years' experience of partnership with a local primary school where children have engaged in the selection of children's nursing students. At the end of the first year of the initiative an evaluation was undertaken to elicit the children's views about their experience of participating in an interview day. A modified nominal group technique was used to elicit feedback. The children reported positive experiences of writing and asking interview questions, and of engaging in skills lab activities, although they found aspects of the experience challenging. The findings were similar to those in the literature on this topic. Feedback from the evaluation was incorporated into children's involvement in the subsequent two years of this initiative. Partnerships between universities and schools can have many mutually beneficial outcomes, but good preparation, support and ongoing evaluation are needed to ensure children's best interests are safeguarded. Recommendations for future research are also proposed.

Parental factors predicting unnecessary ambulance use for their child with acute illness: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To examine characteristics of parents of children with acute, albeit mild, illnesses who used ambulance transport unnecessarily. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: From 2016 - 2017, we recruited parents who visited the emergency room of a Japanese paediatric hospital and whose children were discharged without hospitalization. Participants whose children arrived by ambulance were classified as using ambulance services unnecessarily. Participants answered a questionnaire consisting of parents' characteristics, including health literacy scales and the Parents' Uncertainty regarding their Children with Acute Illness Scale. We conducted a receiver operating characteristic analysis to convert the Parents' Uncertainty regarding their Children with Acute Illness Scale results to binary scores. We analysed questionnaire responses using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Analysed data were from 171 participants. The cut-off score was 59 for the Parents' Uncertainty regarding their Children with Acute Illness Scale. Results of the logistic regression indicated that parents who did not use resources to obtain information regarding their child's illness, had low health literacy, were observing presenting symptoms for the first time in their child, or had high uncertainty, were significantly more likely to unnecessarily use ambulances. CONCLUSION: Publicizing available resources regarding child health information, social healthcare activities to raise parents' health literacy and providing explanations in accordance with parents' uncertainty, especially when confronting new symptoms in their child, might reduce unnecessary ambulance use. IMPACT: Of patients transported to hospitals by ambulance, the rate of paediatric parents with mild conditions has been found to be high. The study findings could contribute to the appropriateness of using ambulances and have implications for policymakers and healthcare providers, particularly in the Japanese paediatric emergency system. In particular, parental uncertainty, one of four significant characteristics, could be resolved in clinical settings. Generalization for global health services requires further research.

Psychometric Evaluation of a Tool for Assessment of Clinical Development in Newly Licensed Registered Nurses.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: For effective evaluation of clinical development, established psychometric properties of reliability and validity are essential. The Clinical Development Assessment (CDA) tool was developed within a 12-month pediatric nurse residency program. Benner's novice-to-expert model framed the development of the CDA. METHODS: Data from 129 nurse residents and their preceptors were used to evaluate internal consistency reliability and face, content, and construct validity. Nine elements were assigned a six-point Likert scale scored as (a) unsafe, (b) novice, (c) advanced beginner, (d) competent, (e) proficient, and (f) expert. RESULTS: Moderately strong reliability was found. Using exploratory factor analysis, a single factor accounted for 68% of the variance in clinical development. Face and content validity were confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a brief, valid, and reliable tool to evaluate clinical development in newly licensed registered nurses.

The children's nursing workforce in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia: generating an initial indication of the extent of the workforce and training activity.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to identify, as far as possible, the extent of the specialist children's nursing workforce in five selected African countries. Strengthening children's nursing training has been recommended as a primary strategy to reduce the under-five mortality rate in African nations. However, information about the extent of the specialist children's nursing workforce in this region is not routinely available. Developing an accurate depiction of the specialist children's nursing workforce is a necessary step towards optimising children's health service delivery. METHODS: This study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design, incorporating quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (questionnaire and interview) components, to generate data addressing three related questions: how many children's nurses are believed to be in practice nationally, how many such nurses are recorded on the national nursing register and how many children's nurses are being produced through training annually. RESULTS: Data provide insights into reported children's nursing workforce capacity, training activity and national training output in the five countries. Findings suggest there are approximately 3728 children's nurses across the five countries in this study, with the majority in South Africa. A total of 16 educational programmes leading to a qualification in paediatric nursing or child health nursing are offered by 10 institutions across the countries in this study, with Kenya, Malawi and Zambia having one institution each and South Africa hosting seven. Data suggest that existing human resources for health information systems do not currently produce adequate information regarding the children's nursing workforce. Analysis of qualitative data elicited two themes: the role of children's nurses and their position within health systems, and the capacity of HRH information systems to accurately reflect the specialist children's nursing workforce. CONCLUSION: The data generated provide an initial indication of the size of the children's nursing workforce in these five countries, as well as an overview of associated training activity. We hope that they can start to inform discussion about what would represent a viable and sustainable regional children's nursing workforce for the future.

Integrating the Comfort Theory™ Into Pediatric Primary Palliative Care to Improve Access to Care.

Primary palliative care improves access to symptom control and quality-of-life care for children and families and can reduce moral distress in clinicians. This article describes the application of a nursing theory framework for an evidence-based practice/quality improvement project that embedded pediatric primary palliative care into a hospital-based setting using unit-specific projects. An evidence-based practice/quality improvement project, guided by the Comfort Theory™, provided primary palliative care education and mentorship to improve knowledge, skills, and attitudes of direct care clinicians. Training consisted of didactic and self-directed learning, mentoring, and completion of unit-based projects to establish meaning and impact best practices and policies. A total of 149 direct care clinicians, comprising 3 cohorts, enrolled in the program. Improvements in interdisciplinary collaboration in care were demonstrated through 21 unit-based projects, the development of triggers for specialty palliative care consults in several high-risk populations, and the development of institutional guidelines for end-of-life care. The Comfort Theory™ guided integration of palliative care for children with serious illness and their families. This project empowered direct care clinicians in caring for patients, providing support to clinical staff, and in developing best practices.

Manipulation of oral medication for children by parents and nurses occurs frequently and is often not supported by instructions.

AIM: Due to a lack of age-appropriate formulations, administration of drugs to children remains a challenge. This study aimed to identify the problems experienced in both the outpatient setting and the clinical setting. METHODS: Between June 2017 and January 2018, we performed a cross-sectional, prospective study at the Sophia Children's Hospital, The Netherlands. The study comprised of a structured interview on drug manipulations with parents visiting the outpatient clinic, and an observational study of drug manipulations by nurses at the wards. RESULTS: A total of 201 questionnaires were collected, accounting for 571 drugs and 169 manipulations (30%). Drug substances that were most often mentioned as manipulated were macrogol (n = 23), esomeprazole (n = 15), paracetamol (n = 8), methylphenidate (n = 7) and melatonin (n = 7). Of all manipulated medicines, 93/169 (55%) were manipulated according to the instructions or recommendations of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) or patient information leaflet. During the observational study, manipulation was performed by 21/35 of observed nurses (60%), of whom 11 deviated from the hospital protocol for manipulation or SmPC (52%). CONCLUSION: Manipulation was a widely used method to administer drugs to children. Validated information regarding manipulation of drugs for both parents and nursing staff is needed.

Cultural sensitivity in paediatric nursing care: a concept analysis using the Hybrid method.

BACKGROUND: Cultural sensitivity is a core concept to establish awareness and knowledge about various ethnicities, cultures, genders and additional diversity characteristics to understand individual's requests and respond appropriately to them. A need for further development of the concept is warranted, especially in the context of paediatric nursing. AIMS: The purpose of this paper was to determine the main elements of cultural sensitivity in the context of paediatric nursing in Iran. METHODS: The Hybrid method was implemented consisting of three phases: theoretical, fieldwork and final analysis. In the theoretical phase, articles from 2007 to 2017 were reviewed for relevance. In the phase of fieldwork, 25 nurses and nine parents were interviewed to explore the aspects of cultural sensitivity in paediatric nursing. The interviews were transcribed, and content analysis was conducted. In the final phase, an overall analysis of the two previous phases was performed. RESULTS: In the theoretical phase, the following attributes were determined: cultural encounter and awareness, acceptance of cultural diversity and designing programmes in accordance with family culture. The fieldwork phase explored three themes of intercultural encounters, intercultural communication and adapting the care plan with family culture. The final synthesis yielded that sensitivity to family requests and beliefs, effective intercultural communication and integration of family culture with the care plan are the main elements of cultural sensitivity in Iranian paediatric nursing. CONCLUSION: With a deeper understanding of the term cultural sensitivity, nurses will have a foundation to improve paediatric nursing care and align the care plan with the patient's culture to provide trust, child/parent participation, secure care, effective communication and satisfaction. Since the concepts are the building blocks that underpin theory, the present concepts identified can help to serve as the foundation for the development of a theoretical model.

The association between nurse staffing levels and paediatric nursing-sensitive outcomes in tertiary hospitals.

AIM: This study aimed to explore the association between paediatric nursing-sensitive outcomes and nurse staffing levels. BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have reported an association between low nursing-sensitive outcomes and high nurse staffing levels in adult populations, there are few studies on paediatric nursing-sensitive outcomes. METHODS: This study used electronic Health insurance review and assessment data for all children under 18 years old admitted at 46 tertiary hospitals in Korea between 2013 and 2014. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine relationships among nurse staffing levels and 11 paediatric nursing-sensitive outcomes. RESULTS: Nurse staffing levels had a clear relationship with the occurrence of lower respiratory tract infection and gastrointestinal infection. Five paediatric nursing-sensitive outcomes (pneumonia, sepsis, arrest / shock / respiratory failure, wound infection and postoperative cardiopulmonary complication) showed weak relationships with nurse staffing levels. Pressure ulcers and failure to rescue had the lowest incidences in hospitals with the lowest nurse staffing levels. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated evidence for the relationships of nurse staffing levels with seven paediatric nursing-sensitive outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: For quality paediatric nursing care, nurse staffing improvement is required. The study results could be useful evidence for appropriateness of nursing staffing in paediatric facilities.

Effects of a 1-Time Nurse-Led Telephone Call After Pediatric Discharge: The H2O II Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Families often struggle after discharge of a child from the hospital. Postdischarge challenges can lead to increased use of urgent health care services. Objective: To determine whether a single nurse-led telephone call after pediatric discharge decreased the 30-day reutilization rate for urgent care services and enhanced overall transition success. Design, Setting, and Participants: This Hospital-to-Home Outcomes (H2O) randomized clinical trial included 966 children and adolescents younger than 18 years (hereinafter referred to as children) admitted to general medicine services at a free-standing tertiary care children's hospital from May 11 through October 31, 2016. Data were analyzed as intention to treat and per protocol. Interventions: A postdischarge telephone call within 4 days of discharge compared with standard discharge. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the 30-day reutilization rate for urgent health care services (ie, unplanned readmission, emergency department visit, or urgent care visit). Secondary outcomes included additional utilization measures, as well as parent coping, return to normalcy, and understanding of clinical warning signs measured at 14 days. Results: A total of 966 children were enrolled and randomized (52.3% boys; median age [interquartile range], 2.4 years [0.5-7.8 years]). Of 483 children randomized to the intervention, the nurse telephone call was completed for 442 (91.5%). Children in the intervention and control arms had similar reutilization rates for 30-day urgent health care services (intervention group, 77 [15.9%]; control group, 63 [13.1%]; P = .21). Parents of children in the intervention group recalled more clinical warning signs at 14 days (mean, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.7-2.0] in the intervention group; 1.5 [95% CI, 1.4-1.6] in the control group; ratio of intervention to control, 1.2 [95% CI, 1.1-1.3]). Conclusions and Relevance: Although postdischarge nurse contact did not decrease the reutilization rate of postdischarge urgent health care services, this method shows promise to bolster postdischarge education. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02081846.

Assessing the Needs of Parents of Children Diagnosed With Cancer in China: A Psychometric Study Developing a Needs Assessment Tool.

The psychosocial well-being of parents remains integral to the treatment and recovery of children diagnosed with cancer. However, limited research addresses the unique needs of this population. To better understand the supportive care needs of parents of children with cancer, this study tested the reliability and stability of the factorial structure of a revised version of the Cancer Patient Needs Questionnaire (rCPNQ) with Chinese parents of children who have cancer. Analysis of the generalizability of the rCPNQ with this population was determined through principle components analysis with varimax rotation. Reliability coefficient and split sample analyses were performed to determine reliability and stability of the resulting factors. The principal components analysis resulted in a 6-dimension, 8-factor, 29-item survey. Each of the factors had Cronbach's α ≥ .74, indicating satisfactory internal consistency and reliability of the survey with the Chinese population. Similar loadings on splitting of the samples reflects the stability of the factors. Study results provided a preliminary understanding of the needs of Chinese parents of children with cancer and demonstrated that the rCPNQ offers a reliable measure for nurses and other health care providers to partner with Chinese parents throughout their children's treatment and survivorship to determine areas for support.

Translation and cultural adaptation of the Needs of Parents Questionnaire (NPQ) to be used in Brazil / Traducción y adaptación cultural del Needs of Parents Questionnaire (NPQ) para uso en Brasil / Tradução e adaptação cultural do Needs of Parents Questionnaire (NPQ) para uso no Brasil

Abstract Objective: To translate, culturally adapt, and assess the internal consistency of the adapted version of the Needs of Parents Questionnaire (NPQ) to be used in Brazil with a sample of parents of hospitalized children. Method: Methodological study, essentially based on the DISABKIDS® method and conducted in a public university hospital. The stages included translation, assessment by an expert committee, back translation, semantic validation, and pilot study. Results: After the original instrument was translated into Brazilian Portuguese and then back-translated, the semantic validation was performed with 30 parents and adjustments were implemented until the translated version was understandable by most participants. Afterwards, a pilot test was implemented with another 59 parents, the internal consistency of which was satisfactory. Conclusions: The Brazilian version of the NPQ proved to be reliable and, after assessing other psychometric properties in the field study, it will be useful to assess the needs of parents of hospitalized children, qualifying nursing care.

Resumen Objetivo: Realizar traducción, adaptación cultural y evaluación de la consistencia interna de la versión adaptada del Needs of Parents Questionnaire (NPQ) en muestras con padres de niños hospitalizados en Brasil. Método: Estudio metodológico, fundamentado esencialmente en el método DISABKIDS®, desarrollado en hospital público universitario. Fueron realizadas etapas de traducción, evaluación por un comité de expertos, retrotraducción, validación semántica y estudio piloto. Resultados: Después del proceso de traducción y retrotraducción del instrumento original para el portugués, se produjo la validación semántica con 30 padres, realizándose adecuaciones hasta que la versión traducida fuera considerada comprensible por la mayoría. Después, fue realizado el estudio piloto con otros 59 padres, presentando valores satisfactorios de la consistencia interna. Conclusiones: El NPQ adaptado se demostró confiable y, después de la evaluación de propiedades psicométricas en el estudio de campo, podrá ser útil para evaluar las necesidades de padres de niños hospitalizados, cualificando el cuidado de enfermería.

Resumo Objetivo: Realizar a tradução, adaptação cultural e avaliação da consistência interna da versão adaptada do Needs of Parents Questionnaire (NPQ) em amostra de pais de crianças hospitalizadas no Brasil. Método: Estudo metodológico, fundamentado essencialmente no método DISABKIDS®, desenvolvido em hospital público universitário. Foram realizadas as etapas de tradução, avaliação por um comitê de especialistas, retrotradução, validação semântica e estudo-piloto. Resultados: Após os processos de tradução e retrotradução do instrumento original para o português do Brasil, procedeu-se à validação semântica com 30 pais, tendo sido realizadas adequações até que a versão traduzida fosse considerada compreensível pela maioria dos participantes. Na sequência, realizou-se estudo-piloto com outros 59 pais, cujos valores da consistência interna foram satisfatórios. Conclusões: O NPQ adaptado para o Brasil mostrou-se confiável e, após avaliação de outras propriedades psicométricas no estudo de campo, poderá ser útil para avaliar as necessidades de pais de crianças hospitalizadas, qualificando o cuidado de enfermagem.

Autoavaliação da inclusão das famílias em políticas e práticas institucionais: perspectiva da equipe de enfermagem / Self-assessment of family inclusion in institutional policies and practices: nursing team perspective

Objective: To compare the evaluation carried out by the nursing teams of pediatric and maternal-infant with adult patient wards on the inclusion of families in institutional policies and practices. Method: A cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out in a university hospital with 148 professionals from the nursing team of the maternal and pediatric units and 43 from adult units. The data were analyzed by the program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22, using the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Results: The groups presented distinct perceptions about the differentiation between families and visitors in policies and practices; similar perceptions related to the policies and practices are not favorable to the presence of siblings and children, and to the non-inclusion of the families in aspects related to daily care. Conclusion and Implications for Practice: The perception of nursing teams indicates that families are not included in institutional policies and practices. The results of an organizational self-assessment about families' inclusion subsidize a way to improve organizational policies and practices, making it possible to draw up an action plan to implementing Patient and Family Centered Care at the institutional level.

Objetivo: Comparar la evaluación efectuada por los equipos de enfermería de unidades pediátricas y materno-infantiles con las de pacientes adultos acerca de la inclusión de las familias en las políticas y prácticas institucionales. Método: Estudio transversal y descriptivo, realizado en un hospital universitario con 148 profesionales del equipo de enfermería de las unidades pediátricas y materno-infantiles y 43 de las unidades de adulto. Los datos fueron analizados por el programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22, utilizando el test Qui-cuadrado y la prueba Exacto de Fisher. Resultados: Los grupos presentaron percepciones distintas acerca de la diferenciación entre familias y visitantes en las políticas y prácticas; las percepciones similares se relacionaron a las políticas y prácticas no ser favorables a la presencia de hermanos y niños, y la no inclusión de las familias en aspectos relacionados al cotidiano asistencial. Conclusión e implicaciones para la práctica: La percepción de los equipos de enfermería indica que las familias no están incluidas en las políticas y prácticas institucionales. Los resultados de una autoevaluación organizacional acerca de la inclusión de las familias subsidian un camino para mejorar las políticas y prácticas organizativas, posibilitando trazar un plan de acción para implementar el Cuidado Centrado en el Paciente y en la Familia en el ámbito institucional.

Objetivo: Comparar a avaliação efetuada pelas equipes de enfermagem de unidades pediátricas e materno-infantis com as de unidades de pacientes adultos acerca da inclusão das famílias nas políticas e práticas institucionais. Método: Estudo transversal e descritivo, realizado em um hospital universitário com 148 profissionais da equipe de enfermagem das unidades pediátricas e materno-infantis e 43 das unidades de adulto. Os dados foram analisados pelo programa SPSS 22, sendo utilizado o teste Qui-quadrado e teste Exato de Fisher. Resultados: Os grupos apresentaram percepções discordantes acerca da inclusão das famílias nas políticas e práticas institucionais, sobretudo, acerca da diferenciação entre famílias e visitantes nas políticas e práticas; percepções semelhantes relacionaram-se às políticas e práticas não serem favoráveis à presença de irmãos e crianças, e à não inclusão das famílias em aspectos relacionados ao cotidiano assistencial. Conclusão e implicações para a prática: A percepção das equipes de enfermagem indica que as famílias não estão incluídas nas políticas e práticas institucionais. Os resultados de uma autoavaliação organizacional acerca da inclusão das famílias subsidiam a construção de um caminho para melhoria das políticas e práticas organizacionais, possibilitando traçar um plano de ação para implementar o Cuidado Centrado no Paciente e na Família em âmbito institucional.