Intervention of occupational therapists with accompanying mothers in hospital pediatric wards

Abstract Introduction Occupational therapists have consolidated their assistance in hospital settings through their work in various sectors of these institutions with diverse populations. The pediatric ward is one of the scenarios where these professionals act, providing services to hospitalized children and adolescents, as well as to their companions: their mothers. Objective To present the intervention of occupational therapists with accompanying mothers in pediatric wards and these professionals’ perception of the mothers’ contribution in this context. Method This is a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study. 14 occupational therapists working with accompanying mothers in pediatric wards participated in this study. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire containing 39 questions available via Google Forms®, coded using the ATLAS.ti® 8.0 software, and analyzed by Content Analysis in its thematic modality. Results The data showed that occupational therapists assess the difficulties and needs of accompanying mothers during the hospitalization of their children, set goals that encompass the woman or the dyad, and perceive the contributions arising from their practice. The data also pointed out the models, techniques, resources, and theoretical frameworks used by these professionals in their interventions with the accompanying mothers, as well as the places made available by these institutions for this practice. Conclusion Occupational therapists fully help accompanying mothers during the hospitalization of their children. The results illustrate the occupational therapy intervention process with this population, from the evaluation, intervention, to the results observed by the professionals.