Die emosionele uitdagings van verpleegkundiges in die kindersaal van ʼn privaat hospitaal

English: Most of the available research studies focus primarily on the child’s experience of hospitalisation, rather than that of the nurse. This study explores the nurses’ experience in order to improve quality care of children. The purpose of this study was to explore the emotional challenges faced by nurses when taking care of children, as well as possible solutions. The researcher used a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design. Data was collected with the nominal group technique (NGT). The participants were nurses working in a children’s ward in a private hospital. One nominal group was selected and multiple strategies were used to ensure that the study was ethical and trustworthy and met the standards set by the University of the Free State. The first emotional challenge faced by nurses in the children’s ward is job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an emotional challenge that can be successfully overcome when committed nurses build a relationship of trust with the children they nurse. The second emotional challenge is handling the diverse emotions they experience when taking care of the children. The negative emotions are frustration, empathy, stress, anxiety, anger and sadness. A variety of positive experiences also occur on a daily basis. The solution to the various emotional challenges lies in the fact that child-centred nurses should be passionate about caring for children, and will then be unconditionally committed. Communication, as the second theme under possible solutions, consists of seven categories: Team-building events, exchanging of tips, communication between colleagues, communication with physicians, support, professional counselling and expression of frustration. The third solution is in-service training, which will make the nurses experts in their field. During in-service training the skills of all nursing staff can be updated and the management skills of all nurses can be developed. With regard to the findings, the following recommendations were made: recruitment requirements should be adjusted, emotional support should be provided to current nurses, team-building gatherings are essential, a formal opportunity to verbalise needs should be created, professional counselling should be available, and facilitation programmes, child psychiatry, case studies and workshops are essential.