Nurses' views regarding the use of creative play in the nursing care of hospitalised children in North West Province

Abstract

Background - The study recognises that healthcare institutions are perceived as extremely stressful environments in which to be admitted. Children find hospitalisation as a threatening and stressful experience, and this is worsened by the fact that they are sometimes unaware of the reasons for their hospitalisation. This could result in them developing anger, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness. These feelings impede their efficacy in coping with medical treatment, and increases their uncooperative behaviour. Aim - The aim of this study was to explore and describe the views of professional nurses on the use of creative play in the nursing care of hospitalised children. Method - A qualitative-exploratory-descriptive and contextual research design was utilised to arrive at the aim of the study. Population - This study comprised professional nurses who had more than one year working experience in the paediatric unit of the selected hospital. Sampling technique - A non-probability purposeful sampling technique was employed to select the participants. The size of the sample was decided at the point of data saturation. Information obtained was transcribed verbatim for data analysis. Results - The study established three main themes each with its subthemes. The following themes emerged from the study: The professional nurses’ views regarding the use of creative play into the nursing care of the hospitalised children, use of structured and unstructured means of creative play activities and benefits arising from integrating creative play into the nursing care of hospitalised children. Conclusion - The study affirms the importance of incorporation of creative play into the nursing care of hospitalised children. It further established that playful activities have a positive impact on the developmental growth of a child.