Therapeutic toy during the procedure of venipuncture: a strategy to reduce behavioral changes

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric nurses should always be attentive to the care subsidies that make possible a better control of pain and anxiety generated by infant hospitalization. Generally, these adverse feeling in children are caused by the realization of intrusive procedures, such as venipuncture. The use of the Therapeutic Toy Instructional (TTI) may represent an effective intervention to deal with the negatives effects of hospitalization. Objective: To compare the reactions expressed by the child, exposed to venipuncture, before and after the use of TTI. Materials and Methods: The research is analytical, exploratory and quantitative approach. For analysis of the data was employed the McNemar test. The sample consisted of 21 hospitalized children, pre-school and school ages, the process of data was collected between June and August of 2012 in a pediatric unit from Crato, CE (Brazil). Results and Discussion: After using the TTI, there was a reduction in frequency of behavioral variables that indicate less adaptation to the procedure, particularly for “Require the presence of mother" and "Try not to look for the Professional" (p <0.001). The realization of the sessions also increased the frequency of many behaviors associated with better acceptance of the procedure, especially: "Look for the Professional" (p <0.001) and "Smile" (p <0.005). Conclusions: The TTI is a relevant intervention for pediatric nursing; to use it in a systematic way is needed: planning actions aimed at increasing awareness among managers of pediatric services, better training of professionals and the inclusion of teaching of therapeutic toy in nursing courses.