BEZERRA, R. S. Percepção de crianças sobre os cuidados recebidos das profissionais de enfermagem em unidade oncológica [Perception of children about care received from nurses in oncology unit]. 2013. Master’s Dissertation – UFBA. Salvador (BA), 2013.
Available on: http://repositorio.ufba.br/ri/handle/ri/13965
The care of hospitalized children with cancer has been specialized in such a way it is supplying all its necessities, minimizing the physical and psychological traumas resulting from frequent hospitalizations. Based on these considerations, the objectives of this study were: understand the perception of children, aged seven to twelve years old, about care received from nurses in the pediatric oncology unit and identify care needs expressed by children. This is a qualitative and descriptive study conducted with 18 children. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews Design-and-Story Procedure with Theme (DSP-T), in the period of January to March of 2013. The data were analyzed in two steps: analysis of the conversations and analysis of drawings graphical expressions. The conversations that came from the interviews and from DSP-T were analyzed by thematic content analysis proposed by Bardin (2009), resulting in four categories: describing the care received; experiencing pain and fear; realizing communication during hospitalization, suggesting how they want to be cared for. These were related to references about the human care/caring of hospitalized children and the care of nurses to children with cancer. The images of the drawings were analyzed descriptively by free material inspection. The results revealed that the children were encouraged and evaluated about their food and water intake, physical activity, recreation and bath. They expressed that by the time they receive care for the treatment, in an appropriate way, feel optimistic and believe in cure as much as when they and their family were oriented about the procedures performed and about their disease; this helped turn the hospitalization experience less traumatic and created a mutual help relationship. The children suggest more knowledge and skill, better conditions for professional work, adjustments in the unit, flexible bath time, the encouragement of playing, more communication, prize gifting, patience, love, transmission of their needs to unit direction and meetings participation. The results of the graphical analysis showed the importance of the professionals‟ commitment in the cancer treatment as the affective and help relationship and the presence of the family in the care. It is understood that each child must be encouraged to provide information that helps in their care, so that the illness and hospitalization experience could be less traumatic and the relationship between the professionals and children nicer.