Development and validation of a welcoming guide for children and their families in the pediatric ward: A Delphi study

PURPOSE: Hospital admission and the initial welcoming process can be a critical and stressful moment for children and their families, often generating emotional distress and uncertainty. This study aimed to develop and validate a structured nursing welcoming guide for hospitalized children and adolescents and their families, based on Family-Centered Care (FCC) principles. DESIGN AND METHODS: A Delphi study was conducted in three phases: a focused literature search, theoretical development of the guide, and expert content validation. Nine experts in pediatric and family nursing completed two Delphi rounds (100% response rate). Consensus was predefined as ≥80% agreement. Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and Scale-Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave) were calculated in accordance with established methodological recommendations. RESULTS: After two Delphi rounds, 24 items across four dimensions (structural, organizational, spiritual/religious, and child/adolescent and family support) achieved consensus (I-CVI ≥0.78). The overall content validity was excellent (S-CVI/Ave = 0.90), indicating strong expert agreement regarding the relevance of the proposed welcoming components. CONCLUSIONS: The validated guide provides a structured and theoretically grounded framework to support the implementation of FCC principles during admission. Future studies should evaluate its feasibility and impact on measurable clinical and psychosocial outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The validated guide provides pediatric nurses with a practical framework to standardize the welcoming process during hospital admission. By supporting FCC principles, the guide may enhance communication, family engagement, and emotional support from the first contact with the healthcare team.