Forward -- Introduction -- Section 1 Theoretical Background -- Chapter 1. Setting the scene -- Chapter 2. Therapeutic Play -- Chapter 3. Caring for children, families and health care professionals -- Chapter 4. Assessing the sick or vulnerable child -- Chapter 5. Attachment in the health care setting -- Section 2 Child Development & Assessment -- Chapter 6. Therapeutic play and maintaining hope in the infant child -- Chapter 7. Therapeutic play, volition and the toddler -- Chapter 8. Therapeutic play and explaining purpose to the pre-schooler -- Chapter 9. Therapeutic play and instilling competence in the school aged child -- Chapter 10. Therapeutic play, fidelity and the teenager (13-18) -- Section 3 Case Presentations & Conceptualisations -- Chapter 11. Preparing Jesse for an allergy assessment -- Chapter 12. Supporting Evan with pain -- Chapter 13. Grace break a leg -- Chapter 14. Bartholomew learns about his sweet blood -- Chapter 15. Erika begins chemotherapy end of life hospice setting / respite -- Chapter 16. Connor -- Chapter 17. Frida -- Chapter 18. Alice -- Conclusion -- Appendices -- Resources

This book helps support developmentally sensitive nursing and allied health practice by integrating the therapeutic powers of play into child and adolescent health care service provision. It is designed to link play, child development, neuroscience, biopsychosocial and attachment theories with the biomedical model of health. Nurses and allied health professionals work with children aged between 0-18 years and with diverse childhood illnesses, injuries, diseases, disorders, and conditions, and are therefore in a prime position to understand and support children through potentially painful and traumatic health care experiences. Understanding of the role of play and the application of the therapeutic powers of play in communicating with children and families has the potential to significantly optimise paediatric care. The theory and play based strategies, tools and techniques presented in this book assist nurses and health care professionals to engage with children in an age-appropriate manner and speak with children through their natural language of play, to enhance comprehension, coping, resiliency, and healing. Play is recognised as a sequentially developing ability and can be aligned with the childs age and stage of life. Play based approaches can be placed on a continuum from fully child led or non-directive play to adult facilitated educative play. Medical information can be tailored according to the various points along this continuum to inform clinical reasoning and to help children prepare for procedures, recover from medical interventions and / or make sense of their diagnosis. Whilst this book is directed at nurses and allied health professionals who work with children and their families, it may also be a valuable resource for medical and other professionals in community or educational settings to work systemically as a team. The book takes the reader on a journey to illustrate various professional and therapeutic roles in how to playfully engage children through a range of case vignettes