Research Article - (2017) Volume 25, Issue 1
Aim: To describe the construction process of a toy and a story for use in a therapeutic play session involving children who are to be submitted to cardiac catheterization.
Design: Methodological development study.
Methods: The toys and stories were elaborated in the following phases: systematic observation of care delivered to children submitted to cardiac catheterization; semistructured interview with the team that works before, during and after the procedure; elaboration of the work plan to make the toy and planning to elaborate the story.
Results: The toy developed in this study consists of the following material: dolls, prototypes of angiograph, anesthesia device and multi-parameter monitor, hospital material for anesthesia and venipuncture. It serves to prepare children between three and ten years old who will be submitted to cardiac catheterization. The story is based on the dialogue between the characters, permitting the construction of shared knowledge involving the child, family members and health professionals, through a playful approach that considers cognitive, procedural and attitudinal aspects.
Conclusion: It is recommended that technologies be developed with a playful approach and that health professionals be trained to use them in the context of child healthcare, aiming to support the coping with potentially threatening situations. In this research, the development process was outlined of a toy and story for use in a therapeutic play session, contributing to guide the elaboration of materials for this purpose, which is rare thus far in the literature.
