Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Pediatric nursing in the perioperative setting: a before/after study about the effectiveness of therapeutic play in the management of child's and fami |
|---|---|
| Name | Trenti Silvia |
| Supervisor(s) | Masoni Barbara |
| Academic Year | 2015/16 |
| Thesis type | Research thesis |
Abstract
Background. Surgery can be a threatening experience for children and their family: they commonly face high levels of stress and anxiety, which result in worse short and long term outcomes. The present study aim to test the effectiveness of nurse-led therapeutic play in the management of preoperative anxiety.
Design/Method. A before/after study was carried out from February 2013 to September 2016 in Vignola’s Hospital including children aged 3-9 years who underwent elective surgery. During the first period the group received traditional care with routine information, instead in the second one children and their parents were involved in therapeutic play protocol. For both groups CEMS Scale was used to measure children’s preoperative anxiety level (higher score meaning higher anxiety) in three different moments: separation from parents, positioning on the operating table and venipuncture.
Results. A total of 256 children were included: 52,3% received therapeutic play intervention and presented a CEMS overall mean score of 19,66 compared to the 24,82 of the others (p<0,001). In particular the introduction of the play-therapy protocol caused a significant reduction (from 21,31% to 8,21%; p<0,001) in the percentage of children that reported a CEMS medium-high score (16 to 25) during venipuncture.
Conclusions. An age-appropriate preoperative preparation program can help children and their families to deal with the surgical experience reducing anxiety and preventing unpleasant consequences. Nurses are fundamental during the whole process because they represent essential leading figures able to create a continuity in care and reduce hospital-related trauma.