Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families最新文献

{"title":"Emotional intelligence and parent-child relationship among Indian adolescents - A cross-sectional study","authors":"Kalpana Shee ,&nbsp;Baby S. Nayak ,&nbsp;Sonia R.B. D'Souza ,&nbsp;N. Siva","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.08.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.08.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognise, understand, manage, and effectively use one's emotions and respond appropriately to the emotions of others. Positive parent–child relationships can provide a supportive environment for the development of emotional intelligence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This research aimed to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence and the dynamics of adolescents' parent–child relationships, which further influence academic and psychological well-being. The emotional intelligence inventory was used to assess emotional intelligence, whereas the parent–child relationship scale was used to measure parent–child relationship quality. A convenience sampling technique was adopted to collect data from 500 adolescents through an online mode.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Most of the adolescents exhibited moderate to high emotional intelligence and maintained relationships with their parents that ranged from above average to exceptionally balanced. The statistical analysis revealed a weak negative correlation between emotional intelligence quality and the parent–child relationship (<em>p</em> = 0.002). The research findings emphasise a weak but statistically significant correlation (<em>r</em> = −0.136) between emotional intelligence and the relationship between parents and children. Compared with adolescents from rural areas, those from urban areas presented greater emotional intelligence. Additionally, those with higher birth order and belonging to joint families exhibited cordial relationships with their parents.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Promotion of parent–child interaction and nurturing of harmonious relationships are crucial for the development of emotional intelligence among adolescents, which requires parents to guide and enhance emotional management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 503-510"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145095198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The meaning that pediatric nurses attribute to their profession: A phenomenological-hermeneutic study","authors":"Yağmur Sezer Efe ,&nbsp;Harun Özbey ,&nbsp;Figen Türk Düdükçü ,&nbsp;Nuray Caner ,&nbsp;Meral Bayat ,&nbsp;Firdevs Erdemir ,&nbsp;Nurgün Platin","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To identify the meaning pediatric nurses assign to their profession, what they see as being a pediatric nurse, and the positive aspects and challenges of working as a pediatric nurse.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>This phenomenological-hermeneutic study involved 20 nurses working in pediatric clinics between January and April 2023. The maximum variation sampling method, which is a type of purposeful sampling, was used in the study. The “Personal Information Form” and “Semi-Structured Interview Form” created by the researchers were used to collect data for this study, for which ethics committee approval was obtained beforehand. In-depth individual interviews lasting approximately 30–45 min were conducted with pediatric nurses online via Zoom.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Five themes were identified: factors that make care difficult, factors that make care easier, pediatric nurses' professional identity and strengths, values and approaches in childcare, and differences between pediatric and adult patients.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The study determined that pediatric nurses love their profession and are joyful when working with children. However, in interviews with pediatric nurses, nurses stated that factors related to children, parents, the nature of pediatric nursing, and the team affect the care they provide to children. Providing team support to pediatric nurses and fostering feelings of appreciation can make them feel valued and competent.</div></div><div><h3>Practice implications</h3><div>The results of this study can be used to empower nurses, especially in pediatric care, and to help improve the factors that influence care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 486-496"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145092441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Caring under pressure: The relationship of caregivers’ stress, mental health, and self-efficacy in ADHD households","authors":"Mahmoud Abdelwahab Khedr ,&nbsp;Nada Alqarawi ,&nbsp;Rasha Mohammed Hussein","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Investigates the relationship between caregiver stress, mental health, and self-efficacy in families with children diagnosed with ADHD.</div></div><div><h3>Design and methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional design was utilized, involving 160 caregivers from the Abdullah Al-Tamimi Autism Center in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic information, caregiver stress, mental health, and self-efficacy.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The average caregiver stress score was 21.56 (SD = 10.82), with 39.4% reporting severe stress levels. Mental health assessments indicated that 53.1% of caregivers were classified as flourishing. In terms of self-efficacy, 49.4% demonstrated high levels of self-efficacy. Significant negative correlations were found between caregiver stress and mental health (<em>r</em> = −0.343, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), and between stress and self-efficacy (<em>r</em> = −0.269, <em>p</em> = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that increased stress had a negative influence on self-efficacy (<em>B</em> = −0.091, <em>p</em> = 0.049), while improved mental health was positively correlated with self-efficacy (<em>B</em> = 0.164, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that mental health mediates the relationship between caregiver stress and self-efficacy (indirect effect = −0.062, <em>p</em> = 0.046).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Caregivers of children with ADHD experience significant stress that adversely affects their mental health and self-efficacy. Targeted interventions to support caregiver mental health and enhance self-efficacy are essential for improving caregiver well-being and the quality of care for children with ADHD.</div></div><div><h3>Practice implications</h3><div>This study underscores the urgent need for interventions that address the mental health and self-efficacy of caregivers, integrating support into treatment plans to enhance coping strategies and resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 467-476"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Care networks for children and adolescents with craniofacial malformations: Perspectives from caregivers and nurses in a Brazilian border region","authors":"Rosangela A.S. Martins ,&nbsp;Neide M. Moreira ,&nbsp;Maria A. Baggio ,&nbsp;Maria C.C. Furtado ,&nbsp;Gabriela D.M. Casacio ,&nbsp;Rosane M.M. Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To analyze the care network for children and adolescents with craniofacial malformations in municipalities located in the western border region of Paraná, based on the experiences of caregivers and nurses in Primary Health Care.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 18 caregivers and 13 nurses. Data were interpreted through Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings revealed positive aspects, such as timely reception in specialized services and early team engagement. However, significant challenges emerged, including structural barriers, absence of clinical protocols, poor coordination across care levels, and the marginalization of Primary Care in caregivers' narratives. These issues contributed to a fragmented care network and placed a disproportionate burden on families, especially in border regions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Strengthening regionalization, positioning Primary Health Care as the care coordinator, and advancing intersectoral collaboration are critical to ensuring equitable, comprehensive, and accessible care for children and adolescents with complex health needs.</div></div><div><h3>Implications to practice</h3><div>Permanent education for PHC professionals, clinical protocols, intersectoral collaboration, and family and community engagement are essential to achieve equitable, integrated, and responsive care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 477-485"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship between secondary traumatic stress levels of pediatric nurses and their emotional intelligence and sociodemographic factors","authors":"Hunda Ergül RN, MSc, RA,&nbsp;Melike Ayça Ay Kaatsız RN, PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the level of secondary traumatic stress in pediatric nurses and socio-demographic &amp; professional factors, as well as emotional intelligence.</div></div><div><h3>Design and methods</h3><div>This descriptive and correlational study involved 138 pediatric nurses. Data were collected using the “Sociodemographic and Professional Data Form”, “Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale” and “Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test”<strong>.</strong> Statistical analyses included Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney <em>U</em> test, Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and multiple linear stepwise regression analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>It was concluded that pediatric nurses' secondary traumatic stress levels were moderate. Pediatric nurses' evaluations of social support from their surroundings (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and their choosing the profession willingly (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) were found to be associated with and affecting their levels of secondary traumatic stress. A low, negative significant relationship was found between the secondary traumatic stress levels and emotional intelligence levels of pediatric nurses (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Emotional intelligence was not found to impact secondary traumatic stress.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>According to the results, social support from surroundings and choosing profession willingly may reduce secondary traumatic stress levels of pediatric nurses'.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for practice</h3><div>In order to reduce the secondary traumatic stress exposure of pediatric nurses, it has been revealed that nurses who choose the profession willingly and are happy to work in the pediatric unit should be supported, strategies should be developed to increase the social support received from the surroundings, and studies should be carried out to increase the emotional intelligence levels of pediatric nurses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 497-502"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the lived experiences of fathers with their premature newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit: A phenomenological study","authors":"Najah Sami Shawish DNS, RN ,&nbsp;Dua'a Al-Maghaireh PhD, MS, BSN ,&nbsp;Andaleeb M. Abu Kamel PhD, RN ,&nbsp;Mariam Kawafha PhD, RN ,&nbsp;Lina Iyad Odeh ,&nbsp;Murad H. Taani PhD, MPH, RN","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Premature neonates' birth and admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) produce unique and significant challenges for the family. However, the paternal experience, specifically fathers, remains significantly under-studied. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of fathers with hospitalized premature neonate, particularly their emotional, psychological, and social challenges.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A qualitative study was conducted in the NICUs of the two largest governmental teaching hospitals in Jordan. A phenomenological approach with face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 fathers of hospitalized premature infants. The van Manen's phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data and identify themes and subthemes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three core themes emerged from the analysis: 1) the psychological response, 2) the stressors in NICU, and 3) the crisis impact. They are further classified into eleven subthemes including: shock, sadness, shames, the NICU physical environment, infant appearance and behavior, father role, health care professionals' communication and behavior, lack of knowledge, physical impact, psychological impact, and social impact.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Fathers of premature neonates in NICU settings experience physical, psychological, emotional, and social challenges, highlighting the need for family-centered care and targeted support interventions to address these challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 458-466"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Storying the experiences of surviving childhood burns: A narrative inquiry","authors":"Jonathan Bayuo ,&nbsp;Eric Ampomah Adinkrah","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Burns remain a significant global public health which disproportionately affects children. With the increasing survival rates, attention has now shifted to understanding their recovery process. Despite this, the voices of paediatric burn survivors remain minimally explored. The current study aimed to capture and understand the experiences of paediatric burn survivors through their stories or narratives.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Narrative inquiry methodology was employed. Purposive sampling method was employed to recruit burn survivors aged 8–16 years with a post-burn discharge status of ≥1 month. Semi structured interviews were undertaken to capture the stories of the participants. The three-dimensional approach of temporality, sociality, and spatiality guided the analytical processes to capture narrative threads following which an overarching metanarrative was derived.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirteen paediatric burn survivors participated. The meta-narrative was captured as “emergence from the trauma” which conceptualises three narrative threads: 1) navigating the initial trauma (emotional responses, bodily suffering, and reliving the injury occurrence); 2) navigating the ongoing trauma (unexpected hospitalisation and navigating through bodily changes); and 3) working through the aftermath of the trauma (betwixt and between liminal spaces and striving for redefined normalcy).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>There is a great need for sustained psychosocial support following admission to the burn unit to enable children to make sense of their injuries, recovery process, and come to terms with the aftermath.</div></div><div><h3>Practice implications</h3><div>Psychosocial support is greatly need for paediatric burn survivors following admission to the burn unit which must continue to the post-discharge period. Evidence-based approaches regarding burn pain management are also needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 451-457"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determining pediatric nurses' anxiety levels, concerns, and metaphor perceptions towards artificial intelligence technologies: A mixed-method study","authors":"Şerife Tutar ,&nbsp;Hande Özgörü ,&nbsp;Züleyha Ögür","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>This study was conducted to determine the anxiety levels, concerns, and metaphor perceptions of pediatric nurses towards artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.</div></div><div><h3>Design and methods</h3><div>A mixed-method research design was used in this study. This study was conducted with 422 pediatric nurses in Turkey. The data were collected through an “Introductory Information Form”, the “Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale”, and a “Semi-Structured Interview Form” via face-to-face interviews.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total score of 48.29 ± 13.53 was obtained from the Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale applied to the participants. In order to gain deeper insight into their perspectives, participants were also asked the open-ended question: “What do you think about the use of AI in pediatric nursing practices?” When the sentiment analysis of the answers to this question was examined, it was seen that 30.5% of pediatric nurses evaluated the use of AI positively, and 69.5% had a negative perspective. Additionally, to explore specific concerns, the participants were asked: “What are you most concerned about the use of AI in pediatric nursing practices?” When the sentiment analysis distributions of the answers given to this question were examined, it was determined that 5.1 % were positive and 94.9 % negative.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study shows that pediatric nurses, despite recognizing AI's potential to reduce workload, errors, and improve care, largely perceive it negatively due to concerns about empathy, role shifts, ethics, credibility, technical issues, privacy, and malpractice.</div></div><div><h3>Practice implications</h3><div>Addressing nurses' knowledge gaps through training is key to safe and effective AI use in pediatric care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 441-450"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growing through experience: A phenomenological study of pediatric healthcare providers' experience of caring for terminally ill children in mainland China","authors":"Yanchao Wu ,&nbsp;Zishen Wang ,&nbsp;Dandan Song ,&nbsp;Jennifer Hong ,&nbsp;Zirong Tian ,&nbsp;Xuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Qiaohong Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Caring for terminally ill children is highly demanding and emotionally challenging for healthcare providers. Understanding their experiences is crucial for identifying their needs, thereby providing appropriate support. However, limited research has explored their experiences in caring for dying children in mainland China, where the death taboo culture runs deep. This study aims to elucidate pediatric healthcare providers' experience of caring for terminally ill children in mainland China.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This is a descriptive phenomenology. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to explore the views of a purposive sample of 19 healthcare providers recruited from five general hospitals and a pediatric palliative care institution in northern China. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Five themes were identified: (1) Cultural and ethical tensions in pediatric end-of-life care; (2) Care reflecting cultural humility; (3) Holistic care practices for terminally ill children and their families; (4) Emotional and affective responses; (5) Multifaceted growth and transformation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Caring for terminally ill children challenges pediatric healthcare providers emotionally and culturally, while also fostering personal and professional growth by offering deeper insights into life and death as well as the meaning of work.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for practice</h3><div>Pediatric healthcare providers should receive training with a focus on managing emotional distress, enhancing communication skills on death and dying topics, and fostering cultural humility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 424-432"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of instructional therapeutic play on emotional responses in children undergoing nasopharyngeal swabbing: A randomised controlled trial","authors":"Melisa Şengül MSc, BSN ,&nbsp;Zeynep Erkut PhD, MSc, BSN","doi":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedn.2025.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study aimed to determine the effect of instructional therapeutic play given before nasopharyngeal swabbing on emotional responses in children aged 3–6 years.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This was a randomised, controlled experimental study. The population covered children presenting to the outpatient paediatric unit of a hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye, for nasopharyngeal swabbing between January–March 2024. The study included 68 children who met the sample selection criteria (therapeutic play group: 34, control group: 34). Data were collected using the Information Form, the Children's Emotional Manifestation Scale (CEMS), and Instructional Therapeutic Play Guide for Nasopharyngeal Swab Procedure. Children in the therapeutic play group received instructional therapeutic play. For this intervention, the swabbing procedure was demonstrated on a doll before nasopharyngeal swabbing. Children in the control group were only explained the swabbing procedure as in routine practice. Two nurse observers independently rated each child's emotional responses one minute before, during, and one minute after the procedure.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>During the procedure, mean CEMS scores were significantly lower in the therapeutic play group (9.8 ± 3.8) than in the control group (15 ± 6.1) (<em>p</em> = 0.000). After the procedure, the mean CEMS score of the therapeutic play group (6.7 ± 2.4) was significantly lower than that of the control group (11.2 ± 5.8) (<em>p</em> = 0.000).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study determined that demonstrating nasopharyngeal swabbing using the instructional therapeutic play method effectively and positively influenced the emotional responses of preschool children.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical implications</h3><div>The therapeutic play can be used as an effective paediatric nursing intervention to manage the negative effects of painful and/or stressful procedures on children.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48899,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Nursing Care of Children & Families","volume":"85 ","pages":"Pages 433-440"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}