ABSTRACT
Objective:
To describe the perspective of the nursing staff on the use of playful activities in health care for children and adolescents hospitalized with cancer.
Methodology:
An exploratory descriptive study with a qualitative approach was performed between August 2013 and July 2015, including 29 nursing professionals from an Onco-hematology Inpatient Unit of a Pediatric Hospital in Southern Brazil. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, analyzed and categorized according to Minayo, when two categories were formed, although only one was presented here: "When providing care, I take advantage to play, allowing the hospital environment to be more agreeable".
Results:
Professionals reported the experience of playful activities in routine nursing practice, focusing on their benefits, difficulties and opportunities in health care.
Conclusion:
Playful activities are an indispensable tool for care, but further theoretical and practical preparation is required to accomplish and experience it as a care strategy.
Keywords:
Pediatric Nursing; Play and Playthings; Hospitalized Child; Hospitalized Adolescent