The Effect of Distraction With a Kaleidoscope on the Level of Perceived Pain During Blood Sampling in Children

A pain-free life is the right of every child. Eliminating pain and improving the quality of life of children is one of the main goals of nursing care. Pediatric nurses should choose the appropriate assessment tool for the child's age and developmental characteristics and diagnose pain correctly. For this purpose, nurses can use appropriate distraction methods. Since the nurse is the healthcare worker who is with the child and family the most throughout the day, s/he should closely monitor and evaluate the child's pain and inform the child and family about the principles of pain control. Many hospitals in Türkiye generally do not use any non-pharmacologic methods to reduce procedural pain. Given that distraction techniques are inexpensive and easy to use, and that reducing children's pain may reduce negative feelings towards future procedures, it is important to examine the effectiveness of such methods. In our study, a kaleidoscope, one of the methods of distraction to reduce pain during blood sampling in children, was used. A kaleidoscope is a game tool that helps distract the child's attention from procedural pain and shows the external image by reproducing it when viewed through it. This experimental study aimed to determine the effect of distracting children with a kaleidoscope during blood sampling on their perception of pain during the procedure and to increase and improve the quality of evidence for the effectiveness of these methods across different populations and cultures.

Inclusion criteria

• were being 7-12 years of age
• not having an auditory or visual disability
• not taking analgesics in the last eight hours
• not having any pain caused by other reasons before the procedure
• having vascular access and blood sampling interventions

Exclusion criteria

• having physical or mental disability
• having any nerve damage