Exploring Learning of Pediatric Burn Patients through Storytelling

This purpose of this study was to explore if pediatric burn patients learned from an age appropriate discharge teaching book. The Pediatric Burn Book© contained coloring pages and seven main teaching points; taking care of my body, bathing, eating right, exercise, sleep, going to school, and keeping follow up appointments. The children were admitted to a pediatric trauma and burn center in northeastern Pennsylvania over a two year period. Twenty children aged five through ten who had second or third degree burns participated in this study. The children were read the discharge teaching book, asked to draw a picture of themself since the burn injury occurred, and then asked to tell about the picture. Through their stories ten meaning units were identified; taking care of my body, what happened to my body, feelings of fear and anger, it hurt and I was uncomfortable, trouble sleeping, what I like to eat, my body itches, thinking about outside, being upset with my parents, and my experiences with colors or the alphabet. Three themes emerged from these meaning units; feelings and experiences, adapting to my life now, relating in my world. Conclusions were that sixteen of the twenty children did identify at least one teaching point in the teaching book in either their picture or their interview. Implications for nursing practice and education is that young children want to learn about what happened to their bodies and be part of the education process. Drawings provide insight into what children are thinking and feeling after suffering a traumatic injury such as a burn. Future research recommendations are to examine long term retention and outcome data of this education effort and determine if important psychological services are provided acutely and long term for children with a burn injury