Rev. Soc. Bras. Enferm. Ped.2006;6(2):75-83.
The therapeutic play in assisting the child: its meaning to parents
DOI: 10.31508/1676-3793200600009
Abstract
This is a qualitative study whose objective was to understand the meaning attributed by parents to the Therapeutic Play in the nursing assistance to their children. Phenomenology as the Situated Phenomenon was used as the theoretical and methodological frameworks. Data were collected by using recorded interviews with the parents of children assisted at the Pediatric Inpatients and Outpatients Units of a School Hospital and of a philanthropic institution of Sao Paulo City. Results showed that parents consider the Therapeutic Play as an important intervention which enables the child to understand procedures better, which functions as an outlet to the feelings associated to this experience, besides helping parents know their children’s abilities better and leading them to suggest that this practice be always used when assisting the child.
Keywords: Games and toys; Parental care; Pediatric nursing; Therapeutic Play