Parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress mediates the effects of the association of perceived social support and readiness for discharge among parents of children with primary nephrotic syndrome.

Purpose: To investigate the level of readiness for discharge among parents of children with primary nephrotic syndrome and to explore the mediating role of parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress between perceived social support and readiness for discharge.

Design And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five large tertiary general hospitals in Hunan, China. Data related to demographics, perceived social support, parenting self-efficacy, parenting stress, and readiness for discharge were collected from 350 parents of children diagnosed with primary nephrotic syndrome. Path analysis was used to determine the mediating roles of parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress in the relationship between perceived social support and readiness for discharge.

Results: Parents of children with nephrotic syndrome in China experienced low perceived social support, low readiness for discharge, and high parenting stress. Factors influencing readiness for discharge include the child's age, duration of illness, first episode or relapse, parental literacy and marital status. Parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress mediated the effects of the association of perceived social support and readiness for discharge.

Conclusion: Perceived social support influences the readiness of parents of children with nephrotic syndrome. Parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress have a chain mediating effect of the association of perceived social support and readiness for discharge.

Practice Implications: This study emphasizes the mediating role of the psychological state of the child's parents. Nurses should take steps to increase perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy of the child's parents and to reduce parenting stress in order to improve readiness for discharge.