A descriptive observational study was conducted to ascertain and analyse the scientific status of nursing in Spain, based on nursing research studies submitted to the Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria-FIS) for public funding and their ensuing scientific output. The study selection criteria required the following: the principal researcher to be a nurse; and the terms, ‘nursing’, ‘self-care’, ‘care’, ‘ulcer’ and/or ‘home care’ included in title or key words. For analysis of bibliographic output, a bibliographic search was made of national and international databases. During the study period (1996–2004), 673 nursing studies were submitted for public funding, with 28% being funded as a result. Of these, 37% addressed research topics focused on clinical practice. Most relied on quantitative methodology, with a descriptive design (48%). Of the studies funded from 1996 to 2002 (86), only 58% resulted in publications; of the total of 73 publications so yielded, only five were published in international journals. The main grounds for rejection of studies were also reviewed. Although nursing research is progressively increasing, it is essential to continue striving to enhance the quality and dissemination of such research.

Tener un hijo con una enfermedad grave puede ser muy estresante para los padres. Con el objetivo de ofrecer a los profesionales de la salud un sistema preciso y de fácil aplicación para detectar diferentes respuestas parentales frente a la enfermedad del hijo se creó una versión breve del Cuestionario de Estilos de Respuesta Parental (CERP). Objetivo: Analizar la fiabilidad y la validez de una versión reducida del CERP en una muestra de padres de niños y adolescentes con enfermedad crónica. Metodología: Se analizaron las características psicométricas (validez, fiabilidad y análisis factorial) de una versión reducida a 16 ítems de la versión original del CERP, que mide principalmente cuatro formas de respuesta parental negativa frente a la enfermedad del hijo: desgana/disforia, irritabilidad/rechazo, sobreprotección y percepción de desajuste. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 28 padres y madres de un hijo enfermo. Resultados: El análisis de fiabilidad de la versión reducida (CERP-R) mostró un índice de consistencia interna alto. En los datos globales del cuestionario no hay diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre padres y madres de las mismas parejas en cuanto a su puntuación global. En el análisis por factores, las respuestas de disforia/desgana son significativamente más altas en madres, mientras que la sobreprotección es significativamente superior entre padres. Conclusión: El CERP-R analiza las diferencias en las respuestas afectivas de los padres y madres frente a la enfermedad del hijo. Es un instrumento fiable y válido, que permite medir los diferentes estilos de respuesta parental, de cara a planificar intervenciones familiares.

Background: Pediatric illnesses not only impose physical challenges on affected children, but also profoundly impact their emotional well-being. Understanding how parents respond to their children’s psychological distress during medical experiences is crucial for enhancing the overall support provided to these families. Aim: This study evaluated the internal structure of the Parental Response Styles Questionnaire (PRSQ), designed to differentiate parental responses to psychological distress in children with pediatric illnesses. Methods: A sample of 701 parents of children with medical issues responded to the PRSQ, reporting their different emotional expressions and responses to their children’s expressions of distress during the medical experience. Results: Factor analysis confirmed, in three of the five subsamples, an internal scale structure consisting of four factors: apathy and dysphoria, irritability and rejection, overprotectiveness, and perceived maladjustment. The invariance analyses revealed that congenital heart disease and neurological disorders are more similar in function to each other than pediatric cancer. Parents of children with neurological disorders exhibited a notably insecure pattern of parental responsiveness. Conclusions: In pediatric contexts, parental responses to their children’s emotional distress are significant factors in the process of adaptation. These responses can be measured, differentiated, and, ideally, managed by nurses and other healthcare professionals. The Parental Response Styles Questionnaire (PRSQ) is a promising tool for assessing parental reactions during their children’s treatment, and its structure appears to be particularly robust across diagnoses such as pediatric cancer, congenital heart disease, and neurological disorders.

Objective: To examine the psychosocial impact and parental stress associated with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities in children, with a particular focus on the relationships between parental response styles and family stress and impact. Design: A descriptive, cross‐sectional, prospective study was conducted. Methods: The study included parents of children with neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities. Participants completed the Family Management Style Framework, Parenting Stress Index, and Parental Response Style Questionnaire. In addition, clinical characteristics related to psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were collected via parent‐reported questionnaire items and analysed as categorical variables. Results: One hundred parents participated in the survey, with data from 100 children analysed. Discomfort and Stress showed positive and significant relationships with all the factors of the Parental Response Style Questionnaire, except for Overprotection, while the Family Management Style Framework subscales did so with the Apathy/dysphoria. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were significantly associated with higher levels of parental stress and family impact. Conclusions: Families of children with intellectual disabilities face substantial challenges that affect family functioning and daily activities. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders emerged as key clinical characteristics associated with increased parental stress and family impact. Given the cross‐sectional design of the study, these findings should be interpreted as associative, and no causal, directional, or temporal inferences can be drawn. Impact: Parents provided critical insights into the challenges of caring for children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities, contributing to a better understanding of family dynamics and stress‐related factors. Identifying relevant clinical characteristics may help nurses and other health professionals tailor family‐centred interventions. Reporting Method: This paper is reported according to the STROBE Statement. Patient or Public Contribution: Parents of children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities were the subjects of data collection for this study and participated in the survey after providing voluntary consent to participate.