Can Therapeutic Pay Safeguard Emotional Well Being in Hospitalised Children?
Authors: Archer, G., Singleton, H.
Conference: Sigma Phi Mu Nursing Conference
Publication Date: 05/06/2026
Abstract:Background Play is a fundamental right for children (UN CRC, 1989) and a cornerstone of child-centred healthcare. Hospitalisation heightens anxiety and disrupts emotional stability, making therapeutic play vital in paediatric nursing. UK policy frameworks, including NICE Babies, Children and Young People’s Experience of Healthcare (2021) and the Royal College of Nursing (2022), advocate play to enhance emotional safety and engagement. This review examines evidence on play’s effectiveness in supporting hospitalised children’s emotional well-being.
Methods A structured search using the SPIDER framework was conducted across EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and PubMed (2015–2025), applying Boolean operators, truncation, and backward citation searching. PRISMA guidelines informed study selection. Three papers were analysed as part of an undergraduate nursing assignment: a quasi-experimental study (Li et al., 2016), an ethnographic study (Graber et al., 2024), and a scoping review (Gjærde et al., 2021).
Results Evidence indicates that play consistently promotes emotional well-being by reducing distress and fostering coping and security. It acts both as an immediate regulator of negative emotions and a broader facilitator of resilience and agency. Methodological limitations, small samples, non-validated measures, and lack of quality appraisal, temper the strength of conclusions, yet findings converge on play’s value for emotional health.
Conclusion Therapeutic play enhances emotional well-being in hospitalised children, reducing anxiety, fostering emotional safety, and supporting coping and agency. Despite these benefits, inconsistencies across designs and methodological limitations highlight the need for robust UK-based research. Play is not a luxury but a lifeline, transforming hospital experiences from fear to resilience, one playful moment at a time.
Source: Manual