Introduction: Parents of children hospitalized in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units frequently experience high levels of stress, uncertainty, and communication challenges, which may hinder effective participation in their child's care. Family-centered care is an important approach that recognises parents and families as essential partners in the child's healthcare and promotes humane, holistic, and collaborative care. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to examine the importance of family-centered care in neonatal and pediatric intensive care settings and to explore how active family involvement influences parental satisfaction, the quality of nursing care, and clinical outcomes. Methods: A descriptive research method based on a review of scientific and professional literature was used. The literature search was conducted in the bibliographic databases CINAHL Ultimate, PubMed, and DiKUL between April and December 2025. A total of 6,540 records were identified; after removing duplicates, applying filters, and screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 17 scientific articles were included in the final analysis. Results: The findings confirm that family-centered care is based on four key concepts: respect and dignity, information sharing, family participation in care and decision-making, and partnership with healthcare professionals. Active parental involvement is associated with a greater sense of competence and security as well as lower stress levels; in neonatal intensive care units, favourable clinical outcomes have also been described, such as improved breastfeeding, faster weight gain, and shorter length of hospital stay. In pediatric intensive care units, clear, consistent, and inclusive communication is highlighted as a particularly important determinant of the quality of family-centered care; lower perceived levels of this type of care are associated with a higher risk of later stress-related and traumatic outcomes in parents. In the literature, nurses are consistently identified as central to this approach; however, common barriers to implementation include lack of time, understaffing, inadequate infrastructure, inconsistency among staff, and formal and informal unit rules. Discussion and conclusion: The literature review indicates that family-centered care contributes to higher-quality care and improved family experiences; however, its implementation in practice is often inconsistent and strongly dependent on organisational conditions, unit culture, and available resources. Effective implementation requires systemic support, adequate infrastructure, clearly defined policies regarding family involvement, and continuous education of healthcare professionals, particularly in communication and parental support.
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