Abstract
D.Cur.
Hospitalisation can be very traumatic for children – and this is
especially true for the child admitted to a haematology-oncology
unit. These children are subjected to an environment
which they do not understand, nor have any control over, they
are faced with many unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells and
they have to undergo frightening and often painful procedures.
In South Africa, there are no associations responsible for
monitoring the environment that children are subjected to in
hospital; neither does any Child Life Specialists, Hospital Play
Therapists or scientifically based programs exist that can
ensure that the psychosocial needs of children in hospital are
met.
The purpose of this study was to develop and describe a model
for the facilitation of support for children through the
mobilisation of resources according to their needs in a
haematology-oncology unit in the private healthcare sector of
South Africa. The following research questions were asked:
• What are the needs of children in a haematology-oncology
unit?
• What are the resources that can be mobilised so that the
needs of these children can be met?
• How can support be facilitated for children in a haematology-oncology
unit?
During this study a theory generating, sequential explanatory
(consisting of a quantitative field study followed by qualitative
model development), explorative, descriptive as well as
contextual research design was used. A model was developed
according to the method of theory generation as explained by
Chinn and Kramer (1995:77-102) and involved the following
steps: Concept analysis (which includes concept identification
as well as concept definition and –classification); description of
the links and relationships between the concepts and a
description and evaluation of the model.
It became evident that children in a haematology-oncology unit
are robbed of all feelings of control and choice in the situation,
resulting in a sense of powerlessness. For this reason, the
focus point of the model was changed to include the
empowerment of children in a haematology-oncology unit as the
main focus of the model. The final model aims at the
facilitation of support in order to empower children in a
haematology-oncology unit in the private healthcare sector of
South Africa.