Department of Nursing, Dongguk University, Korea. ohwo@dongguk.ac.kr
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify therapeutic play need and the degree of the nurses's therapeutic play performances perceived by hospitalized children's mothers, and then to compare the difference between the degree of the need and perceived performances. The subjects of this study consist of 121 hospitalized children's mothers. A questionaire for this study was 29 item likert type 4 point scale developed on the basis of literature review, hospitalized children's mother interview and researcher's clinical experiences. Data was analyzed by Paired t-test, t-test, ANOVA & Duncan's comparison. Results of this study are summarized as follows : 1. The degree of the therapeutic play need was measured to be high (3.20). The degree of perceived therapeutic play need by five components were followed as : physiologic suffering relief & enhancing play (3.39), growth & development facilitating play (3.26), instructional play (3.24), emotional well-being promoting play (3.18) and providing play tool & environment(2.97). 2.The degree of the nurse's therapeutic play performances perceived by mothers was measured to be low (1.60). The degree of perceived performances of the therapeutic play by the five components were followed as : physiologic suffering relief & enhancing play (1.87), instructional play (1.74), emotional well-being promoting play (1.64), providing play tool & environment (1.44) and growth & development facilitating play (1.42). 3. The difference between the degree of the therapeutic play need and nurese's perfor mances perceived by hospitalized children's mothers were significant statistically (t= 38.54, p=.0001). Also, five components of therapeutic play were significant statistically (p=.0001). Therapeutic play has unique benefits among health care intervention for children.
These findings will help in building of the theoretical framework of therapeutic play and enhancing the quality of nursing care for hospitalized children. Therapeutic play program for hospitalized children according to child growth & development and physiologic status are recommended to be developed.
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