Social support of families with tracheostomized children

Objective: To understand the social support of families with tracheostomized children. Method: Qualitative study using the Model of Dimensions of Social Support together with the Family System-Illness model as theoretical frameworks, based on the hybrid model of thematic analysis. Nine families with tracheostomized children were interviewed in an outpatient pediatric otorhinolaryngology department of a public hospital in the inner state of Sao Paulo. Results: The experience of social support to each phase of the family experience was presented in three themes: "Knowing the need for a tracheostomy", "Performing a tracheostomy" and "Living with a tracheostomy". Final considerations: Understanding how the experience of social support occurs can support assessment and intervention strategies, aiming to meet the demands of the family at each phase of its trajectory, collaborating for a continuous and integral nursing care.