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The experience of being hospitalised is usually an anxiety-provoking and even traumatic experience, especially for children. Children are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of being ill, and their hospitalisation is a stressful event with potential unpleasant consequences for children and their families. In a sense, for children the hospital is like a foreign country to whose customs, language and culture they must learn to adapt, a situation which presents many challenges. Health care professionals, such as physicians, nurses, and psychologists, must be aware of the psychological and emotional needs of their patients, particularly those of children. Pediatric hospitals must go beyond a narrow focus of the medical aspect of treating children’s illnesses, by providing, for example, age-appropriate communication, support, and empathy, on the part of the medical and psychological staff, as means of interventions for those children who display marked signs of distress.
Avaiable in: https://www.oatext.com/Psychological-emotional-and-physical-experiences-of-hospitalized- children.php. Access: 30 Nov. 2022. Adapted.
“Age-appropriate communication, support and empathy” are mentioned in the text as examples of