Children's best and worst experiences during hospitalisation

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing Research
• Child Psychology in Healthcare Settings

Background:

• Previous pediatric nursing research has largely overlooked children's perspectives.
• Parental opinions are often collected but may not accurately reflect children's experiences.
• Understanding children's views is crucial for improving pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the best and worst hospital experiences from the viewpoint of school-aged children.
• To gather insights into children's subjective experiences during hospitalization.

Main Methods:

• Sentence completion was used for data collection.
• Content analysis was applied to code responses and identify key themes.
• 388 Finnish children aged 7-11 years from university hospitals participated.

Main Results:

• Positive experiences centered on people, activities (especially entertainment), environment, and outcomes.
• Negative experiences involved people, feelings, activities, and the hospital environment.
• Children reported illness symptoms, separation, and unpleasant procedures as worst experiences.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric care requires enhancement by incorporating children's positive experiences to mitigate negative ones.
• Children's perspectives should inform strategic planning, purchasing, and facility design in healthcare.
• Involving children in their healthcare, respecting their rights, can reduce stress and improve outcomes.