Emotional Relaxation for Children in the Pre-Operative Period: Therapeutic Methods

The concept of evidence-based practices in nursing has gained importance lately. Providing care, applying nursing intervention and raising the quality of life standards of patients in preoperative, perioperative or postoperative period etc. shows the need for evidence-based practices. This need is increasing especially in planning nursing interventions to be applied to children.

Hospitalization or surgery causes development of negative emotions for children. Anxiety and stress levels of children increase when they are unaware of what is happening around them. Being away from the environment in which they live, meeting with strangers, making attempts about his treatment, and appearance and sounds of medical devices cause negative emotions in children. Moreover, the child may show posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and aggressive behaviors after discharge.  To prevent negative emotions the child may experience, it is important nurses be aware of the situation that the child is in. It is hence recommended nurses use various therapeutic methods to make positive contribution to children's emotional world. These methods are art therapy, listening to music, using media, and explaining the initiatives through books, posters or games, which creates a free environment for child. In addition, they are techniques that minimize the traumatic findings caused by the disease or the surgical process, give us the opportunity to learn the feelings and thoughts and that allow children to adapt to the hospital environment. Through therapeutic methods, children can express their feelings freely, learn how to cope with different situations, and find the opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills.

Keywords: Child surgery, therapeutic methods, nursing, emotional relaxation

Author(s): Semra SONGUT, Zehra AYDIN

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