JOPHON CNE (2022 Jan/Feb) – Playing With a Purpose

JOPHON Courses offer continuing education created from JOPHON, APHON’s acclaimed journal. These courses feature original, peer-reviewed research aimed at enhancing clinical nursing care for children and adolescents with cancer and blood disorders, and their families.

Title: Jan/Feb 2022 Playing With a Purpose: The Impact of Therapeutic Recreation During Hospitalization

Author(s): Jennifer A. Hoag, PhD, Kristin Bingen, PhD, Jeffrey Karst, PhD, Akasha Palou, MS, Ke Yan, PhD, and Jian Zhang, PhD

Course Overview: This course explores the profound impact of hospitalization on children’s socioemotional health and the vital role of therapeutic recreation in pediatric settings. Participants will delve into the ways prolonged hospital stays can disrupt physical activity, cognitive growth, and the development of friendships, leading to higher mortality rates and an increased need for antidepressants in adulthood. The course will also highlight the benefits of therapeutic recreation, which aims to enhance children’s quality of life, reduce boredom, and improve overall happiness through various modalities. Despite its limitations in increasing peer support, therapeutic recreation remains a crucial component in promoting wellness and restoring function for hospitalized children. By the end of this course, learners will be able to identify the socioemotional effects of hospitalization, describe the use of therapeutic recreation in pediatric hospitals, and summarize its benefits and limitations.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify two ways hospitalization can affect a child’s socioemotional health.  
• Describe therapeutic recreation and how it is used in a pediatric hospital setting.  
• Summarize the limitations and benefits of therapeutic recreation. 

APHON will provide 1 nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) contact hour(s) for the successful completion of this course. Successful completion of:

• Evaluation
• JOPHON Article Review
• Post-Test