The effect of a hand puppet-based therapeutic play for preschool children on the fear and pain associated with blood collection procedure.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a therapeutic play involving a hand puppet on the fear and pain associated with blood collection procedure in preschool children. DESIGN AND METHODS: The research was conducted as a randomised controlled experiment. The sample included children aged 3-6 years who attended the blood collection unit between July and October 2022 and met the study's inclusion criteria. The research was completed with a total of 120 children, divided evenly into one of two groups. The nursing intervention of the research was a therapeutic play applied with a hand puppet. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a Questionnaire Form, the Child Fear Scale and the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. Ethical principles were followed in the research. RESULTS: Differences between mean fear and pain level scores between the groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic play applied with a hand puppet reduced the level of fear and pain associated with the blood collection process. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Health professionals working in units related to paediatrics can use hand puppets, which are easy to use, inexpensive and practical, to reduce the fear and pain associated with blood collection from pre-school children.

The effect of storybook reading on children's preoperative fear and anxiety levels: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of reading a preoperative preparation-themed storybook on children's preoperative fear and anxiety levels. METHODS: The research design was a randomized controlled experiment. The research sample included 80 children (40 in the story group and 40 in the control group) who met the inclusion criteria. Data collection tools were collected through face-to-face interviews with the 'Survey Form', 'Child Fear Scale (CFS)' and 'Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS)'. In the research, the book named Elif Has Surgery was used as an intervention tool. In the story group, the preoperative preparation-themed storybook was read to the child in their room at the clinic by their mother within 10 min. The control group received only clinical routine. The study was approved by the ethics committee. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in the mean scores of the CFS and mYPAS scales in the control and story groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that reading a preoperative preparation-themed storybook reduced children's fear and anxiety before surgery. It may be recommended to expand the use of preoperative preparation-themed storybooks in order to prevent fear and anxiety experienced before surgery in paediatric surgery clinics. Story reading is an effective, cheap, non-pharmacological intervention. The clinical trial registration number is NCT05478369.