Definition of Hospitalization:
Hospitalization is the placing of a patient in a hospital and it is
a form of individual stressors.
Phases of hospitalization:
Phase of protest:
Observed behaviors during later infancy including:
cries, screams, searches for parents with eyes, clings to
parent, avoid and reject contact with strangers.
Observed behaviors during toddler hood including:
Verbally attacks strangers e.g. go away, physically
attacks strangers e.g. kicks, bites, hits and pinches,
attempt to escape to find parent, behaviors lasting from
hours to days.
Observed behaviors during preschool period including:
refusing to eat, sleep difficulty, cry for their parents,
indirect expression for anger by breaking toys, refusal to
cooperate during the self care activities.
Observed behaviors during later childhood including:
loneliness, boredom, isolation and depression.
Phase of despair:
Inactive, withdrawn from others, depressed, sad, lonely,
isolated, apathetic, uninterested with environment
(food, play), uncommunicative, regress to earlier
behaviors e.g. thumb sucking, bed wetting, use of
pacifier, use of bottle), child’s physical condition
deteriorating from refusal to eat , drink or move.