Plays, as the primary activities in children’s life, could assist children in reducing the pressureand fear being hospitalized. The past research indicated that therapeutic play could effectively assist children in adjusting the trauma and pressure. Nevertheless, little research has been done on the perception of pediatric student nurses playing with sick children in Taiwan. This study aims to discuss the experiences of college student nurses in playing with children during the pediatric nursing clinical practicum.
Method
With qualitative research, 10 senior students, who have experienced the pediatric nursing practicum, in Department of Nursing of a university of science and technology in southern Taiwan are collected the research data with individual interviews. The interview contents are recorded and transferred to the text data for Content Analysis.
Result
The research findings show the experiences of college student nurses in playing with children being divided into two topics. I. Gap between theory and practice contains:1.the lack of the prerequisite capacities of practical (not knowing how to play, children’s ignorance in the therapeutic play, and the therapeutic play being difficult) and 2.the lack of game resources (no playing materials in pediatrics, limited playing materials provided by the school, creative playing materials).
II. Learning from grope and interaction covers: 1.polarized role models (limited clinical nurses andno suitable model at the time playing with children play, clinical seniors being creative to proceed therapeutic play in the limited nursing time) and 2.growth in imitation (imitating teachers and clinical nurses in the play interaction, imitating the examples of case reports in literatures,pre-designing the therapeutic play for situational changes, observation and listening to make progress).
Nursing application
Student nurses’ practical skills of playing with children during the pediatric clinical practicum need to be promoted. This study can provide nursing teachers and clinical nurses with reflection on curriculum design and instructing the clinical learning of student nurses.
