|
1 University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
2 Il Porto dei Piccoli Onlus, Italy
|
Abstract
For developmental psychologists, playing is a crucial parameter to monitor children and adolescents’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and executive development and wellbeing. In the psychotherapy setting, play is a promotor of positive therapeutic change because it allows the child to express beliefs, memories, wishes, feelings, and subconscious contents, from a safe and indirect point of view. Play is a fundamental human right during the whole life cycle, and it becomes even more important for those children and adolescents who are hospitalized or experiencing medical treatments at home (European Association for Children in Hospital, 1988). Entering a medical setting can elicit children’s and adolescents’ distress on many levels (e.g., anxiety, depression, hypochondria, acting out, externalizing, and internalizing problems) since their familiar routine is temporarily disrupted.
The aim of the study. To foster scientific community consideration about the Play Specialist role, paying attention to the state of the art, the international field of practice, the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Play Specialist intervention, the main challenges, and the everyday issue that these professionals have to face to gain proper integration in the national and international healthcare system.
Keywords
Play, hospital, children, play specialist, training
References
Bandstra, N. F., Skinner, L., Leblanc, C., Chambers, C. T., Hollon, E. C., Brennan, D., & Beaver, C. (2008). The role of child life in pediatric pain management: A survey of child life specialists. The Journal of Pain, 9(4), 320–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2007.11.004
Bricher, G. (2000). Children in the hospital: Issues of power and vulnerability. Pediatric Nursing, 26(3), 277–282. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12026391/
Burns-Nader, S., & Hernandez-Reif, M. (2016). Facilitating play for hospitalized children through child life services. Children’s Health Care, 45(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/02739615.2014.948161
European Association for Children in Hospital. (1998). The EACH Charter. https://www.each-for-sick-children.org/each-charter
Francischinelli, A. G. B., Almeida, F. D. A., & Fernandes, D. M. S. O. (2012). Routine use of therapeutic play in the care of hospitalized children: Nurses’ perceptions. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 25(1), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-21002012000100004
Gill, C. (2010). Helping children cope with renal disease: the role of play specialist. Journal of Renal Nursing, 2(5), 244–247. https://doi.org/10.12968/jorn.2010.2.5.78490
Goh, G., Edmonds, L., & Christos, J. (2019). Development and evaluation of play specialist documentation in a New Zealand hospital. Nursing Children and Young People, 31(2), 32–36. https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2019.e1144
Lindqvist, I. (1974). Play as therapy. Pediatrician, 3, 295–300.
Metzger, T., Mignogna, K., & Reilly, L. (2013). Child life specialists: Key members of the team in pediatric radiology. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 32(4), 153–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2013.08.001
Perasso, G., Maggiore, A., Allegri, C., & Camurati, G. (2020). Telematic intervention based on the Play Specialist approach in the COVID-19 era: Benefits for parents of children with clinical conditions. International Journal of Preventive Health and Medicine, 1(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijpmh.A2005.111120
Porto dei Piccoli. (2021, 29 January). 1st International Round Table on Playing in the Hospital. https://www.ilportodeipiccoli.org/it-it/round-table-e-play-specialist/
Simonelli, I., Raúl, M., Bennett, S., Clarke, A., Fernandes, G. A. I., Fløtten, K., Maggi, S., Robinson, J. E., Simonelli, F., Vaghri, Z., Webb, E., & Goldhagen, J. (2014). A rights and equity-based “Platform and Action Cycle” to advance child health and well being by fulfilling the rights of children. Canadian Journal of Children’s Rights, 1(1), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.22215/CJCR.V1I1.11
Ullan, A. M., & Belver, M. H. (2019). Integrative pediatrics and child care play as a source of psychological well-being for hospitalized children: Study Review. Integrative Pediatrics and Child Care, 2(1), 92–98. https://doi.org/10.18314/ipcc.v2i1.1613
Perasso Giulia – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3265-3869;
| |
Perasso, G. (2021). The Play Specialist in the pediatric healthcare: Evidence-based professionalism, issues in practice, and training across different countries. International Journal of Science Annals, 4(1), 45–47. https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2021.1.7APA
Harvard
Perasso, G., 2021. "The Play Specialist in the pediatric healthcare: Evidence-based professionalism, issues in practice, and training across different countries". International Journal of Science Annals, [online] 4(1), pp. 45–47. viewed 30 June 2021, https://culturehealth.org/ijsa_archive/ijsa.2021.1.7.pdfVancouver
Perasso G.. The Play Specialist in the pediatric healthcare: Evidence-based professionalism, issues in practice, and training across different countries. International Journal of Science Annals [Internet]. 2021 [cited 30 June 2021]; 4(1): 45–47. Available from: https://culturehealth.org/ijsa_archive/ijsa.2021.1.7.pdf https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2021.1.7
