Implementation of hospitalized children's rights in Italian pediatric units

Children's Rights

Bisogni, S., Aringhieri, C., McGreevy, K., Olivini, N., Gonzalez Lopez, J., Ciofi, D., . . . Festini, F. (2015). Actual implementation of sick children's rights in Italian pediatric units: a descriptive study based on nurses' perceptions.. BMC Medical Ethics, 16(1), 1-8. doi: 10.1186/s12910-015-0021-0

Europe has issued numerous children's rights charters for solemnly proclaiming their rights during hospitalization. However, despite such general proclamations, whether the rights of hospitalized kids are actually put into practice remains unclear. This study's aim was determining the extent to which their rights, as decreed by two key, current child rights charters, are really implemented and recognized in the pediatric facilities of Italy, and in pediatric divisions of general hospitals in Italy, according to the perception of nurses employed in those healthcare centers. The cross-sectional research employed a 12-item web-based questionnaire; researchers emailed invitations to pediatric nurses employed in Italian hospitals using social networks and professional mailing lists. Responders had to score the extent to which individual rights are obeyed in their work setting on a 1-5 scale (1= never; 5= always). Most nurses indicated that the right to relief from pain is the most crucial. There were considerable differences observed in the execution of rights between different regions of Italy as well as between general hospitals' pediatric divisions and pediatric hospitals. Pediatric nurses were of the view that implementation of hospitalized children's rights in pediatrics divisions in the country is limited up to now. An inadequate implementation of ailing children's rights in pediatric divisions' actual organizational and clinical practice can result in adverse consequences on hospitalized children's QOL (quality of life), as well as the QOL of their families. However, the study enabled researchers to generate previously-unavailable data that could aid decision-makers in taking steps to enhance execution of some of the rights of kids hospitalized at pediatric general hospital wards and pediatric healthcare centers in the country.

Critique

The above work represents a research article wherein authors attempted to ascertain how far children's rights are observed in the course of their stay at hospitals. The authors developed a questionnaire targeted at pediatric nurses in Italy. Most nurses claimed that pain relief was the most crucial right. Their responses indicated that hospitalized children's rights in Italy remain limited.

Authors' Position

The authors' perspective is depicted clearly in the above article -- the article begins by stating that in spite of Europe according rights to hospitalized kids, the real-world implementation of these rights remains unclear.

Substantiation of Authors' Position

The viewpoint of this paper's authors is substantiated as study outcomes plainly indicated that the execution of hospitalized kids' rights in pediatrics wards in Italy remains limited.

Blackstock, C. (2011). The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on First Nations Child Welfare: Why if Canada wins, equality and justice lose. In Children and Youth Services Review, 33(1), 187-194. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.09.002.

It has been proven by repeated reports that children of First Nations on reserve enjoy lesser child welfare support compared to other Canadian children, in spite of the former having higher welfare needs. Following the failure of the Canadian Government to come up with two common solutions for addressing the gap, First Nations groups in the nation lodged a human rights grievance claiming that the Canadian Government was displaying discriminatory behavior towards First Nations kids based on ethnicity and race. Currently, this important case is before the CHRT (Canadian Human Rights Tribunal). For the very first time in Canadian history, the government has been condemned in front of a legal agency for the way it is currently treating First Nations and their kids. The above opinion article portrays the facts that preceded and triggered the lodging of the case, the legal processes and grassroots advocacy, following the complaint's filing, and consequences for: minority communities, First Nations kids, and Canada's moral fabric, if the case was ruled in the Government's favor.

Critique

This paper is in the form of an opinion essay that conveys the events that led up to case filing, the legal processes and grassroots advocacy that followed, and the repercussions for: children of First Nations people, other minority communities, and the nation's moral fabric, were the case to be decided in favor of the Canadian Government.

Critique

Authors of the research article endeavored to discover information on child rights violations. Therefore, they performed a study for assessing and measuring child rights breaches and gaining an insight into it.

Authors' Position

The authors made a clear stance, investigating the violation of children's rights. However, the study presented positive as well as negative outcomes.

Substantiation of Authors' Position

The authors' position is substantiated by study results, which displayed positive outcomesin the following areas: child development, child survival, and (to a certain degree) participation right; results were unsatisfactory in the following areas: recreational activities and environmental conditions. Child labor and malnutrition were highly prevalent -- outcomes emphasized the necessity of having adequate services in the above areas.

White, L. A. (2014). Understanding Canada's Lack of Progress in Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. . International Journal of Children's Rights, 22(1), 164-188. doi:10.1163/15718182-02201002

The above article analyses the concluding observations of the 2012 United Nations CRC (Committee on the Rights of the Child), with regard to Canada's headway in implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The paper explores the Committee's reproval of the rate at which Canada has progressed; it specifically explores the Committee's assertion that the key issues in the Convention's implementation are intergovernmental. The author agrees with how the Committee has diagnosed the issue -- White considered it to be stemming from incoordination, and manifesting, in particular, in the domains of rules and regulations where jurisdictional authority is retained by provinces, but the greater financial levers are in the federal government's hands. The article evaluates the likelihood of solving these public policy and children's rights challenges, employing two descriptive cases: attempts to increase Canadian early childhood academic programs and to improve education of Aboriginal children, especially on reserves.

Critique

This paper assumes the form of a review essay on the United Nations CRC 2012, noting the progress of Canada in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. The paper explores committee criticisms, including intergovernmental issues associated with implementation.

Author's Position

The author writes about the likelihood of finding a solution to the problems surrounding public policy and children's rights, so as to be able to expand childhood education in the nation through appropriate programs.

Substantiation of Author's Position

The author makes use of two illustrative instances for substantiating his stance; efforts towards expanding Canadian early childhood educational programs and towards improving education for Aboriginal children, especially those on reserves.