Invasive procedures involving pain : mothers' experiences

For the mother, the hospitalisation of a child, regardless of the reason for hospitalisation, has a threatening meaning for the child's physical and emotional integrity, which produces various feelings such as: anguish, guilt, fear, disbelief, anger. Illness and hospitalisation constitute vital crises for children and also for the family; their dynamics are altered as well as their roles, and readjustments are necessary to achieve equilibrium. The crisis occurs when a habitual and familiar situation collapses, what is considered "normal" is disorganised and a feeling of being adrift, of uncertainty and bewilderment ensues. Given the diversity of clinical cases seen in the institution as well as the social, cultural and educational diversity of the families, it is necessary to know the concerns and uncertainties surrounding the child's life in order to understand the emotional strategies for coping with the hospitalisation of a child.