The effect of musical-animated toys and audiobooks on fear and pain in the tracheostomy care of children in the palliative care

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of musical-animated toys and audiobooks on the fear and pain in the tracheostomy care of children in the palliative care clinic. METHODS: The study design was a single-center, single-arm, crossover-controlled study. The sample consisted of 16 children who were 3–6 years old. Musical-animated toys and audiobooks were used to divert the children’s attention during tracheostomy care. The children whose control data were collected on the first day were shown musical-animated toys on the second day and listened to an audiobook a week later. The children were video-recorded during the interventions. RESULTS: The children who received musical-animated toy and audiobook interventions during and after tracheostomy care expressed less pain than those in the control group, and their fear levels were less during the care. CONCLUSION: Audiobook and musical-animated toy interventions were effective in reducing children’s procedure-related fear and pain during tracheostomy care in the pediatric palliative care clinic.