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Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
14:32

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care

Published on: February 16, 2011

[The experience of suffering: stories told by hospitalized children]

Raquel Candido Ylamas Vasques1, Regina Szylit Bousso, Ana Márcia Chiaradia Mendes-Castillo

  • 1Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. ylamasraquel@ajato.com.br

Revista Da Escola De Enfermagem Da U S P
|March 30, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This study explored how hospitalized school-aged children experience suffering, finding it tied to hospital events and social support. Nurses can help children cope by facilitating emotional expression.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Qualitative Research
  • Child Psychology

Context:

  • Hospitalized school-aged children face unique challenges and experiences of suffering.
  • Understanding children's subjective experiences is crucial for effective care.
  • The Model of Suffering provides a framework for analyzing these experiences.

Purpose:

  • To explore the lived experience of suffering in hospitalized school-aged children.
  • To identify the key components and categories of suffering from the child's perspective.
  • To understand the role of context and social interactions in shaping suffering.

Summary:

  • Using narrative inquiry with 14 children, researchers identified five categories of suffering: disease awareness, enduring illness, emotional release, living through suffering, and fluctuating between enduring and suffering.
  • Children's suffering is significantly influenced by the hospital environment and the support systems around them.
  • Key themes include the child's perception of illness, coping mechanisms, and emotional responses to hospitalization.

Impact:

  • Findings highlight the need for healthcare providers, particularly nurses, to create supportive environments.
  • Nurses should actively encourage children to express their feelings to mitigate suffering.
  • This research can inform pediatric care practices to improve patient well-being and coping strategies.

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