Determinants of parental satisfaction in nurse–parent communication during pediatric hospitalization: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Children with complex medical conditions require frequent interactions with the healthcare services and multidisciplinary teams. During pediatric hospitalization, effective nurse-parent communication is essential to family experience and satisfaction. Objectives To provide a synthesis of the available evidence on parental satisfaction with nurse-family communication during pediatric hospitalization, and to identify reported barriers, measurement approaches and strategies aimed at improving communication. Methods A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL, including articles between 2014 and 2024. The PRISMA2020 guidelines were followed, and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024518043). Methodological quality was appraised using CASPe, with additional sensitivity assessment using MMAT for selected study designs. Owing to heterogeneity in designs, interventions, and outcome measures, findings were synthesized narratively. Results Nine records were included, comprising heterogeneous study desings and hospital contexts. Overall, findings suggested interventions such as beside communication tools, structured communication strategies and interactive eHealth tools resources were generally associated with higher parental satisfaction and improved perceived understanding. Frequently reported barriers included lack of staff identification, use of technical language, and environmental noise. However, interpretation is limited by heterogeneity and predominance of non-randomized studies with moderate/high risk of bias. Conclusions Evidence suggest that parents of hospitalized children generally report positive experiences withnurse-parent communication, although relevantareas for improvement remain. Strategies such as structured bedside communication, visual aids and digital tools appear promising, However, the predominance of non-randomized and heterogeneous studies limits causal inference and generalizability, and stronger empirical evidence is needed before their effectiveness across settings can be established. Clinical trial number Not applicable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05417-x.