Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of therapeutic play intervention on pre- and post-operative outcomes of children undergoing day surgery.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial, two-group pretest and repeated posttest, between subjects design was employed. Hong Kong Chinese children (7-12 years of age; N = 203) who were admitted for elective surgery in a day surgery unit during a 13-month period, were invited to participate in the study. By using a simple complete randomisation method, 97 of them were assigned to the experimental group receiving therapeutic play intervention, using preoperative tour visit to the operating theatre, doll demonstration and return demonstration on the procedure of anaesthesia induction, and 106 were assigned to the control group receiving routine information preparation.

Results. The results showed that children in the experimental group reported statistically significant lower state anxiety scores than the control group in both pre- and post-operative periods. Besides, children in the experimental group exhibited statistically significant fewer instances of negative emotional behaviours. The results, however, did not find statistically significant differences in children’s postoperative pain between the two groups.

Discussion: The study has addressed a gap in the literature by systematically researching the effect of therapeutic play intervention on the immediate pre- and post-operative outcomes of children undergoing day surgery. The study provides empirical evidence of the effectiveness of therapeutic play intervention in preparing school-age children for day surgery. 

See more of Child and Adolescent Health Initiatives
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)