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Published on: January 17, 2011

The voices of children: stories about hospitalization

Margaret E Wilson1, Mary E Megel, Laura Enenbach

  • 1College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5330, USA. mwilson@unmc

Journal of Pediatric Health Care : Official Publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners
|March 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children often feel lonely and scared when hospitalized, desiring companionship and protection. Their experiences, while sometimes negative, were not always frightening, highlighting the complex nature of hospital stays for kids.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Child Development
  • Healthcare Experiences

Background:

  • Understanding children's perspectives on hospitalization is crucial for improving care.
  • Previous research often lacks direct input from children regarding their hospital experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore hospitalized children's views and experiences through their own narratives.
  • To identify key themes and emotions associated with childhood hospitalization.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of stories from 93 children (aged 5-9) using drawings of hospital settings.
  • Qualitative thematic analysis of narratives collected from children recruited both in-hospital and in the community.

Main Results:

  • Children's narratives frequently centered on feelings of loneliness, fear, sadness, and a desire for protection and companionship.
  • Experiences were not solely negative; children also perceived the hospital environment as potentially fun, alongside threatening aspects.
  • Awareness of both positive and negative potential outcomes of hospitalization was evident in children's stories.

Conclusions:

  • Hospitalization evokes complex emotions in children, including but not limited to fear and sadness.
  • The core themes of hospitalized children's experiences differ from those of never-hospitalized children primarily in the level of detail and emotional intensity.
Abstract

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