Playing as therapeutic instrument: opinion of the companions

Abstract

The act of playing presents as an important resort for the child to understand the world that surrounds him and what happens with him/her, making the elaboration of conflicts, frustrations and traumas possible. It aimed to investigate the level of approval of volunteer activities directed for hospitalized children and to assess the efficiency of these activities before clinic evolution of the children, in the companions opinion. Descriptive and camp research, carried in a public hospital in Campina Grande-PB, in May 2004.A questionnaire was addressed to the companions of the hospitalized children about volunteer activities developed in a pediatric service. Among 16 subjects of research, 93,75% said that the work reduces the period of admission of children, and the approval for clinic procedures (100%) is favored, interfering in a positive way. All would recommend this work for other institutions that offer care for children and said that the jokes distract the companions and familiar too.The approval of the companions was checked for the volunteer activities directed to internal children. The same happened to the recreation and the jokes that promoted better clinic evolution, reduced the stress caused by the hospitalization and favored the approval of clinic procedures realized.

Key words: Hospitalized child; Pediatric nursing; Play therapy; Family; Patient acceptance of health care.