Exploring Holistic Comfort in Children Who Experience a Clinical Venipuncture Procedure

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Child Psychology
• Healthcare Comfort Studies

Background:

• Children frequently undergo invasive procedures in healthcare settings.
• Holistic comfort is well-researched in adults but not from children's perspectives.
• Understanding children's experiences of procedural comfort is crucial for effective care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept of holistic comfort during invasive venipuncture procedures from the child's viewpoint.
• To identify factors contributing to procedural comfort in children aged 5-7 years.
• To gather insights from both children and their caregivers regarding procedural experiences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive research design.
• Naturalistic inquiry philosophical underpinnings.
• Semistructured interviews with 13 children and 15 caregivers.
• Children used drawings to express perceptions.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged regarding holistic comfort during venipuncture:
• Body Comfort, Cognitive and Emotional Comfort, Comfort in the Procedure Surroundings, and Comfort Play.
• Thematic content analysis guided the identification of these themes.

Conclusions:

• Findings provide a child-centered understanding of procedural comfort.
• Recommendations are offered for nursing practice, policy, and future research.
• This study assists nurses in managing invasive procedures with a holistic care approach for children.