The impact of a nursing coping kit and a nursing coping bouncy castle on the medical fear levels of Uzbek refugee children

Abstract

Purpose: This study determines the effect of a nursing coping kit and a nursing coping bouncy castle on the self-reported medical fear levels of Uzbek refugee children. Design and Methods: The study was conducted with Uzbek refugee children (n = 70) aged 6 to 18 years from Hatay province of Turkey. The children were randomly assigned into 2 groups; an experimental group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 35). Two coping interventionswere tested; a nursing coping kit and a nursing coping bouncy castle. These were designed to present medical implements, depictions of healthcare staff, and medical procedures to the children in a fun and playful way. A socio-demographic questionnaire was completed by all participants prior to the experiment. Also, a Fear for Medical Procedures Scale (FMPS) questionnaire was completed by each participant both prior to and after the intervention sessions with both the coping interventions. Results: The FMPS post-test scores decreased significantly in the experimental group after exposure to the two interventions when compared with the control group (11.77 and 22.14, respectively). Thus, the results support the notion that two coping interventions appear to reduce children'smedical fear level and make healthcare procedures easier to deal with. Conclusion: The participation of children in creative activities such as making toys or playingwith items fromthe nursing coping kit, and the opportunity for having fun represented by the nursing coping bouncy castle have potential benefits for them in terms of developing strategies to cope with their medical fears. Practical Implications: Using interventions to cope with medical fears of children might be recommended when the normal development process is considered significantly. Nursing researches should attach more importance and perform further studies about the subject.