The Effect of the Empowerment Program Constructed According to Neuman's Systems Model on Stress and Satisfaction Levels of Mothers With Children in the Intensive Care Unit and Effective Decision Making

For pediatric nurses, supporting families, especially mothers, who take a primary role in care, increasing their ability to cope with the stress they experience, helping them access the information and resources they need, and supporting family functionality are vital parts of nursing care.

In order to strengthen the family, the relationship between the nurse and the family must be based on respect and trust. In the nurse's communication with the family; The family should discuss the expectations of the family, discuss their views, and care about how much the family wants to be involved in care and what they want to do. Communication provided through these foundations helps to establish a trusting relationship between the family and the nurse and to determine boundaries with the parents. In this way, role confusion between the nurse and parent can be prevented and bidirectional satisfaction can be achieved.

Another issue required to strengthen the family is to establish a close physical and emotional bond between the nurse and the family. This bond is related to the family feeling close enough to the nurse to open up to them not only in the presence of the problem, but also outside the problems. Thus, the family's trust in the nurse increases, removing the nurse from the position of healthcare personnel only caring for the child. Thanks to this special bond the nurse establishes with the family, it makes it easier for family members to express themselves and can even help them discover their weaknesses that they are not aware of. In addition, the nurse evaluates the family's coping methods, helps reveal their strengths, and can ensure more effective planning of care. Studies have shown that as a result of the empowerment programs applied by nurses to families, parents' depression and stress levels decrease, family function, self-efficacy, autonomy, problem-solving skills and family members' support for each other increases.

In order to strengthen the family, it is of great importance to reduce the effects of internal and external stressors, holistic approach, increase the patient's perceptions and motivation, interact with the environment, reach, protect and maintain optimal health. In line with this purpose, the conceptual framework of nursing theories and models forms the basis and directs nursing education, management, practice and nursing research. These components are also included in the philosophical basis of the Neuman Systems Model. Neuman Systems Model is a model that focuses on human needs and emphasizes human uniqueness. It focuses on the multidimensional evaluation of the individual from a holistic perspective in achieving optimal health/well-being. However, accepting that the human being is a biopsychosocial being, it attaches importance to environmental stress and the health of the patient system that reacts to this stress. In Neuman's Systems Model, it is stated that when an individual is exposed to various stressors, his defense system is affected and the individual needs help to protect his basic structure.

It is thought that nursing care structured in line with the Neuman Systems Model facilitates family and child-centered care practice. This study will be conducted to examine the effect of the empowerment program structured according to the Neuman systems model on the stress and satisfaction levels and effective decision-making of mothers whose children are in the intensive care unit.