The College of Nursing at the University of Baghdad hosted the defense of the doctoral dissertation by researcher Ammar Abdul-Khaliq Ali Hussein, titled “The Effect of Therapeutic Play on Levels of Fear, Anxiety, and Satisfaction Among Pediatric Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy,” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Qahtan Qasim Muhammad.
The study primarily aimed to evaluate and determine the effect of therapeutic play on levels of fear and anxiety among pediatric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy before and after the intervention, to measure their level of satisfaction with the care provided, and to explore the relationship between levels of fear and anxiety and sociodemographic and clinical variables (such as age, gender, type of diagnosis, age at onset, and number of treatment cycles).
The study’s results and conclusions showed that therapeutic play represents a pivotal, effective, non-surgical, and low-cost nursing intervention, as the findings demonstrated that incorporating structured play activities into care protocols during chemotherapy sessions significantly contributes to reducing psychological distress and negative emotions, and enhances children’s satisfaction and adaptation to the treatment environment.
Based on the research findings, the study recommended organizing specialized training courses for nurses and caregivers to enhance their knowledge and skills in applying therapeutic play and effective communication with children, while periodically evaluating their competence, as well as incorporating communication skills and psychological palliative care into the curricula for nursing students. Following an extensive academic discussion, the researcher’s efforts culminated in the thesis receiving a “very good” grade.
The findings of this study align with the Sustainable Development Goals that the College of Nursing at the University of Baghdad seeks to promote, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 4 (Quality Education), through the development of psychological support methods for children with cancer and the enhancement of nursing staff competence in caring for specialized cases.
