Paper
Friday, July 13, 2007
Children's Experience of Hospitalization
Margaret E. Wilson, PhD, CPNP, Mary Megel, PhD, RN, Kimberly Carlson, BSN, RN, and Laura Enenbach, BSN, RN. College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| Learning Objective #1: list six positive aspects of hospitalization for school-aged children. |
| Learning Objective #2: list six negative aspects of hospitalization for school-aged children. |
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore children’s experience of hospitalization in children age 5-9 years. Children’s stories of specific hospital situations were elicited using the revised Barton Hospital Picture Test, a projective instrument comprised of 8 pictures of children in hospital settings. The design was a secondary analysis of qualitative descriptive data. Data for this study were 48 transcribed story interviews from hospitalized children. Each story set was coded, common categories were identified and organized into overall themes. Themes included both positive and negative experiences. Positive experiences were Glad to see mom and dad, Everyday is a birthday, I wanna hold your hand, The happy place, All done!, My way, Magic kingdom, and There’s no place like home. Negative themes were Ouchie things, Creepy rooms, Hurts so bad, Oh no not medicine, Peeing in a cup, and I want my mommy. This study using the Barton Hospital Picture Test is unique in that both positive and negative themes were identified. Most studies of children’s experience of hospitalization focus exclusively on negative experiences. Limitations included the convenience sample, multiple researchers, and lack of racial/ethnic diversity. Implications for future research include recruiting a more diverse sample, and comparing effects of children’s responses to chronic illness versus acute illness. The Barton Hospital Picture Test is an effective method of eliciting children’s perceptions of hospitalization and those perceptions are both positive and negative.