Introduction:

The therapeutic toy is effective for exploring the perceptions of pediatric patients, as well as it helps to decrease anxiety and fears of children in the hospitalization process.

Objective:

To identify how the scientific literature approaches nursing performance through the therapeutic toy with hospitalized children.

Methods:

An integrative review of scientific literature was carried out in the months from January to May 2022, through a search in the Medline, BDenf, PubMed, Lilacs and SciELO databases. The keywords were juego e implementos de juego and enfermería pediátrica and hospitalización [play and play implements and pediatric nursing and hospitalization]. The selection involved the following inclusion criteria: original or review studies, available in full text, stating the applied methodology, and published in the English, Spanish or Portuguese languages in the period from 2017 to 2022.

Conclusions:

The use of the therapeutic toy was beneficial in the care of hospitalized children, given the favorable perception of the pediatric patient and family, the optimistic perspective of nursing professionals for the organization of care, and the explicit contributions stated in the reviewed studies regarding the therapeutic toy in nursing performance. Implementation in pediatric units, including the right to play in healthcare facilities, should promote the humanization of care, with the possibility of understanding the interaction that children fail to understand; as well as reduce stress, fear and strengthen the pediatric triad, in such a way to accelerate and improve the possibility of recovering physical and emotional health.

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