The Perception of Nurses From Children With Intellectual Disabilities Using the Drawing Method: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Intellectual Disability Research
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Understanding perceptions of healthcare professionals is crucial for effective patient care.
• Children with intellectual disabilities may have unique perspectives on nursing.
• The draw-and-tell technique offers a non-verbal method to explore these perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how children with mild intellectual disabilities perceive the nursing profession.
• To utilize the drawing method as a tool for understanding these perceptions.
• To identify potential strategies for improving nurse-child interactions.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study employing the draw-and-tell technique.
• Analysis of 66 drawings from children with intellectual disabilities.
• Phenomenological approach to interpret visual data.

Main Results:

• Nurses predominantly perceived as female, associated with syringes.
• Overwhelmingly positive depictions: 82% smiling, 4% frightened.
• Drawing method provides insights into effective communication and interaction strategies.

Conclusions:

• The drawing method is effective in understanding children's perceptions of nursing.
• Positive nurse imagery can be fostered among children with mild intellectual disabilities.
• Findings can inform nursing approaches for children with special needs.