Hospitalization is a traumatic event for the child and family. Trauma is seen as a life-threatening factor that is difficult to resist, overwhelming, out of ordinary experience.
Even a short stay in hospital can be frightening because it involves separation, helplessness and pain. It is observed that reactions such as difficulty in sleeping in the short term, fear of medical treatment, forcing parents to fulfill their wishes, and changes in daily activity patterns are commonly observed in children treated at the hospital.
It was determined that the self-concepts of children who were treated in hospital due to chronic illness were negatively affected.
Some researchers stated that the length of stay in hospital negatively affects school success. It has been determined that children and young people with chronic diseases experience some psychosocial problems due to hospitalizations. Common psychosocial problems; Medical addiction has been determined as psychological and medical problems affecting other family members.
It is very important that the child is prepared for this event with the help of adults before hospitalization, as this reduces long-term negative emotional and behavioral problems. It was determined that children who were not prepared for hospitalization responded to surgery and inpatient treatment with anxiety, panic, anger, sleep and nutritional disorders.
The following tips may cause the child to consider hospitalization as a learning and development process, not a frightening experience:
Child and family getting used to the hospital environment If possible, all family members should attend the hospital tour, visit the appropriate parts of the service or operating room and meet with the staff.
Adults should obtain information to prepare the child and answer his/her questions. The language used when describing medical processes should be appropriate for the child’s developmental level. It should be explained to him/her what he/she will see, hear, smell and feel during his/her stay in the hospital. Information on specific devices should be given in advance.
Parents should first understand what the child is feeling and thinking. In order to examine the child’s feelings, the family can benefit from materials such as games, pictures and books. Reading the stories about the child being treated in the hospital together by the family members helps to reflect the emotions and strengthen the solidarity within the family. The books to be read should be suitable for the developmental level of the child.
If there is a video about the child’s discomfort and medical procedures in the hospital environment, the child and his family can watch it together.
Young children think and play in their own way. Adults should play with them and be as open as possible. In addition to words, game materials should be used and animation should be done. The doctor playset and games played with clothes resembling the hospital staff’s clothes provide concrete pictures of the child’s experience in his mind.
Young children worry when separated from parents or may feel punished for misbehaving. The child needs to be convinced that it does not cause the disease. He should be told that many children and adults like him are sick and are hospitalized to recover.
Adults should stay with the child during medical procedures and stay in the hospital. After the doctors approve, it should be communicated to the child with whom he will return home. Some children fear that their parents will leave them alone in the hospital. It is important to let the child know when they are leaving and to let them know when they will be back.
Parents should say that they will go to the hospital with the child, then take him home and love him always.
The child’s favorite toy, blankets and family pictures can be brought from home.
The family should give correct information in words that the child can understand. Honesty is important for building trust. Failure to inform children during the treatment or pre-operative period may create different problems. Hiding the problem, avoiding explaining it, and glossing over the questions undermine the child’s trust in adults. May overreact to hospital staff and procedures. This situation may lead him to develop a negative attitude towards the hospital experiences he may have in the future.
Care should be taken when sharing all the details with the child because sometimes giving too much information can be daunting. If adults are unsure about the medical procedure to be taken, they should answer “I don’t know” rather than pass on inaccurate information.
The child may cry because of fear and pain, it should be told that this is a natural reaction and should be calmed down. Instead of saying “don’t be afraid, it won’t hurt”, it is more appropriate to make a statement like “it may hurt, but this procedure needs to be done in order to heal”.
During the hospital stay, the child may act quiet or angry. These are natural responses to stress. Children should be guided to express their feelings and fears. It should be communicated to him that crying is natural and is a healthy way of getting rid of anger, fear and pain.
Regression behavior is a frequent response to hospital treatment. In this process, it should be considered normal for the child to exhibit some of the behaviors observed in the previous developmental stages by the child.
The child should be supported to continue normal activities during the hospital stay. Games to be brought from home, homework related to school, visits to friends are important for the continuity of daily life.
Other siblings should be encouraged to participate in visits and conversations. They also have some concerns and they may affect the behavior of the child who will stay in the hospital.
A special celebration can be held when the child returns home. If the plans for this special celebration are communicated to the child in advance, he will make sure that he will be released from the hospital.
