Abstract

DIOGO, Paula; VILELAS, José; RODRIGUES, Luiza  and  ALMEIDA, Tânia. Nurses with emotional competence in the management of children's fears in emergency context. Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental [online]. 2015, n.13, pp.43-51. ISSN 1647-2160.

The health-disease processes experienced in childhood are invariably characterized by experiences of fear. The feeling of fear is often associated with the unknown, distress and pain and experiences which are inherent to the different stages of development. Other times it is an expression of emotional disorder of anxiety or phobias, which may progress to psychopathology. We intend to explain the performance of the emotional labour of nurses in the management of the children’s fears, through a narrative review of the literature focusing on on the experience of fear in children aged 6 to 12 in pediatric emergency department, using a comparative, descriptive and comprehensive methodology for the analysis of scientific production. There are several comfort and emotional management strategies of fear used by nurses during painful procedures related to child care. Based on the principle that parents are the best caregivers, nurses should encourage their permanence with the child so as to strengthen the parental role during hospitalization and the focus on the importance of affection and comfort as an emotional regulator; listen to and remain together with the family in order to understand their concerns, demystify fears and anxieties, and answer questions. So, the nurse should thus appeal to humanization strategies and atraumatic care, fostering a safe and caring environment, managing emotions and building up a helping supportive and reassuring relationship.

Keywords : Nursing care; Child hospitalized; Fear; Emergencies.

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