TY - JOUR

T1 - The Care Ethics of Child Health Nurses in Danish Asylum Centers

T2 - An Ethnographic Study

AU - Barghadouch, Amina

AU - Norredam, Marie

AU - Skovdal, Morten

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Child health nurses play an important role in promoting the health and well-being of children and families seeking asylum. However, little is known about how they establish caring partnerships with families in asylum centers. In this article, we examine the ethical care practices that child health nurses within Danish asylum centers adopt to overcome barriers, related to culture, language and migration history, in delivering care. We conducted ethnographic fieldwork in four Danish Red Cross asylum centers, involving participant observation and individual interviews with 20 families and six child health nurses. A thematic analysis of the material reveals five ethical care practices; compassionate care, humanitarian care, flexible care, collaborative care, and supportive care. We show how the confluence of these types of care enables child health nurses to promote health and well-being of children seeking asylum, and discuss the enabling role of the humanitarian culture that prevails within the asylum centers.

AB - Child health nurses play an important role in promoting the health and well-being of children and families seeking asylum. However, little is known about how they establish caring partnerships with families in asylum centers. In this article, we examine the ethical care practices that child health nurses within Danish asylum centers adopt to overcome barriers, related to culture, language and migration history, in delivering care. We conducted ethnographic fieldwork in four Danish Red Cross asylum centers, involving participant observation and individual interviews with 20 families and six child health nurses. A thematic analysis of the material reveals five ethical care practices; compassionate care, humanitarian care, flexible care, collaborative care, and supportive care. We show how the confluence of these types of care enables child health nurses to promote health and well-being of children seeking asylum, and discuss the enabling role of the humanitarian culture that prevails within the asylum centers.

KW - asylum-seeking children

KW - care ethics

KW - child health nurse

KW - cultural humility

KW - Denmark

KW - family-centered care

KW - parallel humanitarian system

U2 - 10.1177/2333393620984141

DO - 10.1177/2333393620984141

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33447654

AN - SCOPUS:85098278537

VL - 7

SP - 1

EP - 13

JO - Global Qualitative Nursing Research

JF - Global Qualitative Nursing Research

SN - 2333-3936

ER -