The Development of Nursing System for Pediatric Patients with Epilepsy

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy in children is a complex health issue that requires continuous and effective care to prevent severe complications. This research aims to develop a nursing care system for pediatric epilepsy patients and to study the effectiveness of the system at Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital.

Methods: This was an action research study, applying Swanson’s Theory of Caring and the clinical practice guidelines of the Neurological Institute as the conceptual framework, with systems theory serving as the operational framework. The purposive sample consisted of 45 children with epilepsy, 45 primary caregivers, and 55 nurses. Data were collected from July 1, 2024, to June 20, 2025. Research instruments included nursing practice guidelines, a caring-based nursing plan, and a follow-up system via telemedicine. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests.

Results: The developed nursing care system comprised four key components: enhancing the competency of case manager nurses, implementing the 5-step caring intervention, establishing a seamless information transfer system, and conducting home follow-ups through telemedicine. Outcome evaluation revealed that, after implementing the system, nurses’ adherence to the guidelines improved from a moderate level to the highest level (p < .001). Caregivers’ knowledge and caregiving behaviors also increased significantly (p < .001), and satisfaction was at the highest level. Notably, the 28-day readmission rate and the rate of intensive care unit readmissions decreased from 8.7 percent to zero.

Conclusion: The pediatric epilepsy nursing care system effectively enhances quality of care and caregiver competency for children with epilepsy. It may serve as a model for administrators to develop care for children with chronic diseases and to sustainably expand the approach across health service networks.