This is a descriptive study of a qualitative nature, developed with the objective of investigating the perception of the companion of the hospitalized child as to the quality of care given by the hospital staff in regards to humanization. Data was collected during October of 2006 using semi-structured interviews with 20 companions (one father, one grandmother and 18 mothers) in the pediatric unit of a university hospital in northwestern Paraná, Brazil. For data treatment, the Collective Subject Discourse technique was used. It was concluded that for the clientele in question, humanized hospital care is related to the ability to approach the patient in a holistic and egalitarian manner. The attitudes that give the care a humanized character are related to the communication style adopted, while non-humanized care is defined by attitudes that value hospital rules, lack of attention, and low empathy from the professionals.
Pediatrics; Humanization of assistance; Patient care team; Patient escort service