# Influence of Parent-Nurse Communication on Family Management of Pediatric Chronic Care

> **NIH NIH K23** · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · 2020 · $154,572

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Barbara K. Giambra, PhD, RN, CPNP is a pediatric nurse whose overarching career goal is to improve the
wellbeing of children who are technology dependent by improving family management of their child’s chronic
condition at home, in alignment with the National Institute of Nursing’s mission for improving the quality of
life for individuals with chronic illness through self-management. Children who depend on technology such as
long-term mechanical ventilation (LTVD) for survival are living longer due to medical advances. Family
management involves incorporation of the LTVD child’s complex care into everyday family life. Effective
communication between parents and nurses about the home care of the hospitalized child with LTVD is critical
to ensure family understanding and management of the child’s care and child wellbeing after discharge.
Candidate: Dr. Giambra is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nursing at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical Center (CCHMC). As a pediatric nurse practitioner, she specialized in the care of children dependent
on tracheostomies and ventilators. The proposed K23 career development plan will build upon her clinical
career, doctoral work and fellowship training to address areas in which she requires additional development to
enhance her ability to become an independent investigator: 1) communication research methods, 2) family
research methods and 3) advanced quantitative research design, implementation and analysis skills. The
proposed training will provide Dr. Giambra with the necessary skill and expertise to conduct quantitative
studies leading to interventional work in future R-level proposals.
Mentors/Environment: Dr. Giambra has assembled a mentorship team with research expertise in the care
of chronically ill children, family management, healthcare communication and quantitative study design and
analysis. The proposed career development plan uses the extensive resources available at CCHMC and the
University of Cincinnati, and nationally recognized workshops to complement local training. CCHMC is
committed to beginning researchers, providing extensive support including opportunities for education and
networking, software, biostatistical advisors, and research, data, and grant management support.
Research: The proposed research will begin to fill the gap in knowledge about ways to enhance family
management of children with LTVD to improve the child’s wellbeing. Aim 1 will identify and quantify key
modifiable parent-nurse communication behaviors used to communicate about the hospitalized LTVD child’s
care. Aim 2 will determine which communication behaviors predict parental understanding and home
management of the child’s care. Aim 3 will determine the independent effects of parent-nurse communication
on the child’s health related quality of life and clinical outcomes after discharge to home. This research will
result in a broad understanding of the modifiable parent-nurse communication beh...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9988507
- **Project number:** 5K23NR017396-03
- **Recipient organization:** CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Barbara K. Giambra
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $154,572
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9988507

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9988507, Influence of Parent-Nurse Communication on Family Management of Pediatric Chronic Care (5K23NR017396-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9988507. Licensed CC0.

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