THE USE OF RECREATIONAL RESOURCES TO ASSIST THE HOSPITALIZED CHILD

Abstract

The hospital playroom is a place where children learn to share toys, stories, and emotions, as well as joys and sorrows about the hospital conditions. The playroom provides distraction through the provision of recreational resources, preparing children for new situations, and enabling the maintenance and progression of normal development. This study reports on the experience of a university extension project of the Faculty of Nursing at the Catholic University of Campinas (São Paulo), entitled "Pediatric Humanization: the use of Recreational Resources in Nursing Care for Children's Health". The project was developed by students who deliver recreational activities in the playroom or in bed, in the pediatric unit at the university hospital. The work was undertaken during the school year, from Monday to Friday in the afternoon. In these experiences, students learned the importance of play to the emotional development of the child, making hospitalization less invasive, and improving the relationships between professionals, parents, and children. The students found that play is an important tool for the wellbeing of children and families, promoting a better experience of hospitalization and a more positive experience of the disease, corroborating the theoretical benefits that should be achievable.