The effect of instructional therapeutic play on acceptance behavior of nasal lavage in hospitalized children

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of instructional therapeutic play on acceptance of nasal lavage in children hospitalized for respiratory conditions.

Design and methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at a teaching hospital. For the therapeutic play session, disposable gloves filled with compressed air and designed to resemble a human face, syringes, and saline solution ampoules were used. Children's acceptance behaviors were assessed before, immediately after, and 6 h after the therapeutic play session. The data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.

Results: Children (N = 42) aged 3-6 years, 50 % female, with a hospitalization duration of 0.2-9 days, showed increased acceptance of nasal lavage (p = 0.01), with the child self-administering the saline solution (p = 0.01), and with reduction of all resistance behaviors to nasal lavage (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Instructional therapeutic play was effective as an educational intervention for the acceptance of nasal lavage in hospitalized children.

Practice implications: This study demonstrates the potential of using instructional therapeutic play, innovating the field of pediatric nursing, and expanding the international knowledge frontier of this subject. In the future, there is a need for clinical trials with control groups, larger and more heterogeneous samples, and implementation studies.