Person- and Family-Centered Care: A Time for Reflection

In 2007, the Pediatric Perspectives column was launched in AACN Advanced Critical Care. The journey began with an “in the balcony” look at the state of pediatric acute and critical care nursing. Over the years, the column has covered various topics specific to the youngest population of patients. Although exciting interventional and technological advances have been made during this time, has person- and family-centered care (PFCC) implementation moved forward as quickly as other aspects of care? This question became reality as one of the authors of this article exited an interstate ramp only to look up and see billboards, a few blocks from a children’s hospital, with statements such as “Children’s hospital X does not provide evidence-based visiting hours” and “Children’s hospital X does not do family-centered care.” Interestingly, at the bottom of each billboard were references from evidence-based articles to validate the statements. These large reminders of gaps in...