Interrelación enfermera-cuidador principal del paciente en unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos según modelo de Joyce Travelbee en Lima, Perú

Objective: To determine the nurse-primary caregiver relationship of children hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the INSN-Breña in Lima, Peru, according to Joyce Travelbee's model in the period 2023-2024. Materials and methods: Observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study. The scale based on Joyce Travelbee's model of human relationships was used in a sample consisting of primary caregivers (parents and/or guardians) of hospitalized children. A Likert scale instrument validated by expert judgment was applied, consisting of five dimensions with twenty-four items, and internal consistency was calculated, obtaining an Alpha value of 0.88. Tests such as Fisher's exact test and Chi-square were used. Results: Three hundred primary caregivers participated and were evaluated in each dimension of the Joyce Travelbee model. The dimensions of original encounter, emerging identities, sympathy, and harmony obtained predominantly very good scores in more than 50% of the participants, while in the dimension of empathy, the score was only good in 78.3%. The caregiver's level of education can be considered an important factor when evaluating the interrelationship between nurses and primary caregivers (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Joyce Travelbee's theory with its five dimensions obtained positive results, with trends rated as “good” and “very good.” These findings suggest that interactions between nurses and caregivers can be aligned with established goals, promoting a quality relationship in the context of pediatric intensive care.