Are we listening to children's views about their treatment?

Abstract

This article examines how the recommendations of a recent report 'Listening to Children's Views: The Findings and Recommendations of Recent Research' (O'Quigley, 2000) can be used within the healthcare environment in order to obtain successfully children's views about their medical treatment. Sometimes, the treatment proposed is objected to by the child and, occasionally, the approval of the courts is sought in order to allow treatment to proceed. At times like this, the child's voice seems muted. These are exceptional cases, but every day children's nurses have to look after children of all ages and act as advocate, adviser, counsellor and nurse. Autonomy, confidentiality and cultural sensitivity are dominant themes in the O'Quigley report. Using these themes, this article examines how, and why, children's nurses should adopt these recommendations to help ensure that the voices of adolescent children, in particular, are both heard and listened to by decision makers.