O uso do brinquedo terapêutico pelos acadêmicos de enfermagem no cuidado à criança hospitalizada

Child hospitalization represents a different situation from all those experienced by the child, since her/his routine is modified. It is necessary that the pediatrics professionals have a differentiated look for such peculiarities, particularly the nursing team that is present in the daily life of the children. Playing can help the child expand their relationships with the outside world by creating a link between their imaginary world and that of the hospital. Through play, the child can transform the environment in which she/he is inserted, so that she/he can face the current situation positively. Therapeutic toy (TT) is a structured toy for the child to alleviate her/his anxiety due to experiences that represent a threat to her/him. It is evident the need for discussion within the universities about the importance of the therapeutic toy. According to this, the objective is to identify the use of therapeutic toy in the care of hospitalized child by nursing students during graduation and to discuss the implications of the use of therapeutic toy in the care of the hospitalized child in the trajectory of the nursing student. This work is an exploratory research with qualitative approach. The interviews were conducted in Aurora de Afonso Costa Nursing School (EEAAC), with seventeen undergraduate students from the last semester of graduation. The data collection was performed through a semi-structured interview and the data was submitted to thematic analysis. The research was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of Antonio Pedro University Hospital under number 59606316.6.0000.5243. As result, most of undergraduate students did not use the therapeutic toy during graduation and claim that they only had the theoretical content in the course of Saude da Crianca II. The benefits of therapeutic toy are well recognized, however numerous difficulties for its application are found. Its use could influence a more humanized and less traumatic treatment for the child, making her/him more collaborative. In the ease of the undergraduate student, could influence by decreasing her/his insecurity and helping her/him change the child’s view about the nursing team. It is indispensable to know how to use the therapeutic toy properly. It is concluded that the execution of this study provides reinforcement of the importance of the utilization of therapeutic toy in child care performed by the undergraduate students. Despite general consensus, the TT is underused in nurse formation, since the knowledge is limited to the theoretical approach. Discussions about the subject are still necessary allied to the opportunity to apply the technique of TT in Theoretical-Practical Learning, in order to enable this undergraduate student to implement it in her/his work place, considering that care with toys is one of the most effective ways to assist a child.