Hospitalization

Hospitalization is stressful experience  for children,  adolescents  and their families.  It is an interruption  of the child's active cycle of growth and development and of his and his family's life-styles. The child is removed from the daily routines  of home  life and contact with siblings, relatives  and peers. He may be required to communicate with strangers  and experience  unfamiliar equipment and surroundings, hampered mobility and frightening  and painful procedures. Hospitalization experience  can be emotionally and developmentally damaging  to the hospitalized child and his  family. Preparation for such dramatic change is essential for both the child and his parents. The first contact with the hospital can set the tone for the rest of the hospital stay. The goal of the nurse is  to  assist the child and family  to  adopt positively  to  the hospital experience  and to facilitate their hospital stay.  In this unit we shall discuss about the care of hospitalized child with focus on importance of care for a child, stress of hospitalization, impact of hospitalization  and nursing intervention for hospitalization.