Pediatric Resident Attitudes Toward Caring for Children with Severe Disabilities

Objective: To survey pediatric residents' attitudes toward caring for children with severe disabilities. Design: A cross-sectional survey of residents in a university-affiliated pediatric residency program between October and December 2005. Residents were asked to complete a newly designed, 13-item survey. For each item, participants selected the degree to which they did or did not agree with a statement about disabilities or caring for children with severe disabilities. Results: Fifty-five (43%) of 129 eligible residents participated. Eighty-nine percent felt that caring for children with severe disabilities was as rewarding as caring for other children. Ninety-two percent felt that there is a societal responsibility to care for such children; 98% felt families of children with disabilities love their children as much as other families. Two-thirds (66%) admitted frustration related to caring for children who cannot be cured or function independently, and 71% questioned the aggressive treatment of such children. Residents in their second and third postgraduate years were more likely to question the aggressive treatment compared with their junior colleagues. Conclusions: Although pediatric residents had positive attitudes toward children with severe disabilities, emotional and moral tensions did arise around their care.