Introduction:Waiting in hospital is a condition of high stress for patients and theirfamilies, especially in childhood. The literature has investigated theemotional experiences of patients and their families, recognizing theneed for a comfortable environment, attention from the staff,information and sharing emotions with others (Bournes & Mitchell,2002; Kutash & Northrop, 2007). Pedro da Silva and colleagues (2007)have pointed out that playing in the waiting room is an opportunityfor small patients to express and elaborate negative emotions, suchas anxiety and fear. This exploratory study investigates theexperience of waiting children and their families go through duringtreatment in a Day Hospital. First, it aims to examine the youngpatients’ emotional state and the families’ representations ofwaiting; the study also intends to explore whether the waiting timespent in a Day Hospital can be used as an opportunity to express andelaborate emotions, and to relate with others.Methods:Fifty children, aged between 7 and 15 years, who were admitted to aDay Hospital of a Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ward of anItalian Hospital, completed the Emotional Reaction Instrument (Kimet al., 2012) and the Child Drawing: Hospital (Clatworth, Simon &Tiedeman, 1999). Their parents completed a demographicquestionnaire (Kim et al., 2012) and a semi‐structured interview onwaiting (Kutash & Northrop, 2007).Results:The qualitative analysis showed that parents experience waiting inthe Day Hospital as a moment of boredom, anxiety and concern forthe emotional state of their children. This condition is alleviated bygood relationships with the health care professionals, who arewelcoming and a source of emotional support. They would like moreentertainment activities. The patients showed a low level of anxietyand negative emotions; children (aged 7‐10) experienced highanxiety.Discussion:The data confirmed the literature on children’s and parents’ needs inthe waiting room and emphasized the role of the relationships andcommunication with health professionals in order to improve theperception of the quality of care service (Corsano et al., 2013).
The waiting room as a relational space: The experience of children and parents in a day hospital.
Majorano, Marinella;
2014-01-01
Abstract
Introduction:Waiting in hospital is a condition of high stress for patients and theirfamilies, especially in childhood. The literature has investigated theemotional experiences of patients and their families, recognizing theneed for a comfortable environment, attention from the staff,information and sharing emotions with others (Bournes & Mitchell,2002; Kutash & Northrop, 2007). Pedro da Silva and colleagues (2007)have pointed out that playing in the waiting room is an opportunityfor small patients to express and elaborate negative emotions, suchas anxiety and fear. This exploratory study investigates theexperience of waiting children and their families go through duringtreatment in a Day Hospital. First, it aims to examine the youngpatients’ emotional state and the families’ representations ofwaiting; the study also intends to explore whether the waiting timespent in a Day Hospital can be used as an opportunity to express andelaborate emotions, and to relate with others.Methods:Fifty children, aged between 7 and 15 years, who were admitted to aDay Hospital of a Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ward of anItalian Hospital, completed the Emotional Reaction Instrument (Kimet al., 2012) and the Child Drawing: Hospital (Clatworth, Simon &Tiedeman, 1999). Their parents completed a demographicquestionnaire (Kim et al., 2012) and a semi‐structured interview onwaiting (Kutash & Northrop, 2007).Results:The qualitative analysis showed that parents experience waiting inthe Day Hospital as a moment of boredom, anxiety and concern forthe emotional state of their children. This condition is alleviated bygood relationships with the health care professionals, who arewelcoming and a source of emotional support. They would like moreentertainment activities. The patients showed a low level of anxietyand negative emotions; children (aged 7‐10) experienced highanxiety.Discussion:The data confirmed the literature on children’s and parents’ needs inthe waiting room and emphasized the role of the relationships andcommunication with health professionals in order to improve theperception of the quality of care service (Corsano et al., 2013).
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