Page 407 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

374 n PAReNTING ReSeARCH IN NURSING

patients to take an active role in achieving adults—has received relatively little attention
this outcome. (McBride & Shore, 2001). There has also been
P limited research on the parenting experience
Marianne Matzo of adults with chronic or acute illnesses.
Designs for this body of parenting
research vary and include qualitative stud-
ies, descriptive and correlational designs,
Parenting researCh and interventions with parents. like other
areas of nursing research, commonly used
in nursing data collection methods include qualitative
interviews and self-report questionnaires
of parents and, to a lesser degree, children.
Parenting is as a process that involves a com- In addition, videotaped and direct observa-
plex set of responsibilities, including being tions of interactions of parents with children,
present for the child; caregiving, teaching, primarily infants or preschool children, are
protecting, and encouraging the child; and frequently used (Pridham et al., 2010). These
advocating on behalf of the child. These observations are scored using standard-
responsibilities evolve over time as the child ized assessments such as Kathryn Barnard’s
and parent mature and change in response NCAST scales (currently referred to as
to environmental contexts and any special Parent–Child Interaction Scales) or investiga-
needs of the child. tor-developed ratings or coding scales.
Parenting is a major focus of nursing Parenting during the transition to par-
and an identifiable group of nurse research- enthood has probably received the most
ers who study parents and parenting has attention from nurse researchers (lutz et al.,
emerged (Anderson, Riesch, Pridham, lutz, & 2009; Pridham et al., 2010). Areas of research
Becker, 2010; Beeber & Miles, 2003; Holditch- include maternal identity and competence,
Davis & Black, 2003; lutz, Anderson, Riesch, adjustments to parenting a newborn infant,
Pridham, & Becker, 2009; McBride & Shore, parent–infant interactions, and the effects of
2001; Miles, 2003, 2005; Pridham, lutz, stressors such as older maternal age, infertil-
Anderson, Riesch, & Becker, 2010; Riesch, ity, or a high-risk pregnancy. Fathers are
Anderson, Pridham, lutz, & Becker, 2010; beginning to be studied. Researchers have
Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2010). like parent- also studied the development of the paren-
ing researchers from other disciplines, nurse tal identity during pregnancy, maternal–fetal
researchers agree that parenting plays a crit- attachment, emotional tasks of pregnancy,
ical role in child development. The substan- and postpartum depression.
tive focus of nursing research on parenting A related area of research focuses
is varied and includes parenting during the on parenting high-risk infants, including
transition to parenthood, parenting of high- infants who are premature, technologi-
risk infants, parental responses to children’s cally dependent, prenatally exposed to
acute and chronic illnesses, parenting of substances, multiple births, or tempera-
healthy children and adolescents, and prob- mentally difficult (lutz et al., 2009; Pridham
lematic parenting including parenting chil- et al., 2010). Researchers have explored the
dren with behavioral problems. However, emotional distress and sources of stress of
with the exception of studies on the effects parents during the infant’s neonatal inten-
of parenting infants and children with sive care hospitalization (Holditch-Davis &
health problems on parental health, mental Black, 2003; Miles, 2005). Of particular con-
health, distress, and bereavement, the other cern is the impact of parental distress and
side of parenting—its effects on the lives of parent–infant separation on subsequent