Perception of the hospitalized child about the instructional therapeutic play in intravenous therapy^a

Abstract

Objective  to analyze the perception of the hospitalized child regarding the use of the instructional therapeutic play in preparation for intravenous therapy.

Method  descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, performed in a public pediatric hospital in the city of Juazeiro do Norte - Ceará, between the months of July and September 2019. A total of 31 pre-school and school children participated in the study. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview, and later analyzed through IRAMUTEQ software.

Results  in view of the children's perception of intravenous therapy, it was found that they understood the technique, from the use of the instructional therapeutic play. When the child has the opportunity to play and dramatize intravenous therapy, through the instructional therapeutic play, the anxiety, the pain, the anguish, the loneliness, the fear and the crying are mitigated.

Conclusion and implications for practice  Orienting children in the performance of intravenous therapy favors their understanding of the real benefits of this technique for their health, allowing the nurse to understand the conditions that pose risks to the child, and intervene in a timely manner, through the use of strategies that favor the recovery of health and the minimization of subsequent trauma from hospitalization.

Keywords:
Games and Toys; Clinical Procedures; Child Health; Pediatric Nursing; Hospitalized Child