Parents’ State and Trait Anxiety Levels During Bloodletting Attempts in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Introduction: Parental stress and anxiety during pediatric bloodletting in the pediatric emergency department (PED) are influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including the child's medical condition, unfamiliarity with procedures, healthcare-provider interactions, and parental knowledge gaps.This study aimed to identify parents' state and trait anxiety levels during bloodletting procedures performed on their children in the PED and to explore factors influencing these anxiety levels.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the PED of a tertiary hospital in the southeast of Trkiye.Data were collected from 180 parents using a questionnaire that included a socio-demographic information form, and the state-trait anxiety inventory.Data were collected between 6 January 2025 and 20 February 2025.The data were analysed using the IBM SPSS statistics for Windows version 22.0.Results: Parents exhibited moderate levels of anxiety, with mean state anxiety scores of 41.49410.322and trait anxiety scores of 39.1899.370.Mothers reported significantly higher trait anxiety levels compared to fathers (41.9449.012vs. 35.0568.371,p<0.001).Lower maternal education levels, non-working status, and lower income were associated with higher trait anxiety.Parents who received education about their child's illness had significantly lower anxiety levels (p<0.05).Satisfaction with healthcare staff communication and information provision also correlated with reduced anxiety. Conclusion:The study highlights the significant anxiety experienced by parents during pediatric bloodletting procedures, particularly among mothers and those with lower socio-economic status. zGiri: ocuk acil serviste (AS) ocuklarn kan alma ilemleri srasnda ebeveynlerin yaad stres ve kayg, ocuun tbbi durumu, prosedrlere aina olmama, salk alanlaryla etkileimler ve ebeveynlerin bilgi eksiklikleri gibi bir dizi faktrn karmak etkileimiyle ekillenir.Bu alma, AS'te ocuklarna kan alma ilemi yaplan ebeveynlerin durumluk ve srekli kayg dzeylerini