IN THE PLAYFUL UNIVERSE OF THERAPEUTIC PLAY: WHO AM I? NURSES ATTRIBUTING MEANING TO THEIR ROLE IN THIS PROCESS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: to understand how nurses attribute meaning to their role in the interaction with children while using Therapeutic Play and building a Theoretical Model, representative of that experience. Method: a qualitative research study conducted in the light of Symbolic Interactionism and the Grounded Theory. The participants were eleven nurses of both genders and with experience in the use/teaching of this playful approach. Data were collected by means of participant observation and semi-structured interviews completed by story-drawing, simultaneously to the analysis following these steps: initial coding, categorization, theoretical coding, and apprehension of the central category until reaching theoretical saturation, enabling creation of the Theoretical Model. Results: two interactive phenomena were revealed. Striving to offer children welcoming and effective assistance through Therapeutic Play, which unveils nurses' sensitization towards children's/adolescents' distress, recognizing their playful nature and games as essential to their work, leading them to “embrace this cause”. Implementing actions so that Therapeutic Play becomes a reality in the care of children/adolescents, which describes the nurses' actions when they start using it helping children to cope with difficulties, favoring bond, catharsis, protagonism, welcoming, facing difficulties or receiving support from the institution, becoming famous as “nurses that play” and feeling gratified. Its integration allowed creating the Theoretical Model: Feeling gratified and fulfilled for promoting qualified and humanized assistance for children/adolescents by means of Therapeutic Play, representing the essence of this experience. Conclusion: by interacting playfully with children, nurses recognize several feelings that mobilize them: satisfaction, sense of responsibility and reciprocity, in addition to perceiving themselves as agents of change in favor of qualified playful care.