Integrating Therapeutic Play Into Nursing and Allied Health Practice: A Developmentally Sensitive Approach to Communicating with Children

This book helps support developmentally sensitive nursing and allied health practice by integrating the therapeutic powers of play into child and adolescent health care service provision. It is designed to link play, child development, neuroscience, biopsychosocial and attachment theories with the biomedical model of health. Play is recognised as a sequentially developing ability and can be aligned with the child's age and stage of life, and can be used to inform clinical reasoning and help children prepare for procedures, recover from medical interventions, and make sense of their diagnosis.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 22 January 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This groundbreaking book is a vital tool for supporting developmentally sensitive nursing and allied health practice by seamlessly integrating the therapeutic powers of play into the provision of child and adolescent health care services. Its primary objective is to establish a strong connection between play, child development, neuroscience, biopsychosocial, and attachment theories, while also aligning them with the biomedical model of health. By leveraging the expertise of nurses and allied health professionals who work with children aged between 0 and 18 years, who face a wide range of childhood illnesses, injuries, diseases, disorders, and conditions, this book aims to provide comprehensive understanding and support for children during potentially painful and traumatic healthcare experiences.

Understanding the role of play and the application of its therapeutic powers in communicating with children and families holds immense potential for optimizing pediatric care. The theory and play-based strategies, tools, and techniques presented in this book empower nurses and healthcare professionals to engage with children in an age-appropriate manner, utilizing their natural language of play to enhance comprehension, coping, resiliency, and healing. Play is recognized as a sequentially developing ability that can be tailored to the child's age and stage of life, allowing for a continuum of play-based approaches that range from fully child-led or non-directive to adult-facilitated educative play.

By adapting medical information to align with these various points along the continuum, healthcare professionals can inform clinical reasoning, assist children in preparing for procedures, recovering from medical interventions, and making sense of their diagnoses. This book is specifically designed for nurses and allied health professionals who work with children and their families, but it also holds value for medical and other professionals who seek to enhance their understanding of the therapeutic benefits of play in healthcare.

Weight: 435g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031169373
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022