An Experimental Study To Assess The Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Reducing Pain among Children Aged 4–7 Years Undergoing Venipuncture in a Selected Hospital, SVBP, Meerut, U.P.

Introduction: Venipuncture is one of the most frequently performed invasive procedures in pediatric units and is often reported by children as a highly painful and frightening experience. Children aged 4–7 years can anticipate the needle but lack mature coping skills, which leads to fear, anxiety, crying, and resistance during procedures. In busy government hospitals, pharmacological measures such as topical anesthetic creams are difficult to use routinely, so there is a need for simple, cost‑effective, nurse‑driven non‑pharmacological interventions like play therapy. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of play therapy using a bubble blower toy in reducing venipuncture‑related pain among children aged 4–7 years in SVBP Hospital, Meerut, and to determine the association between pain level and selected demographic variables. Methods: A quantitative experimental approach with quasi‑experimental post‑test only control group design was adopted. The study was carried out in the pediatric department of SVBP Hospital, L.L.R.M. Medical College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Sixty children aged 4–7 years undergoing venipuncture were selected by non‑probability convenience sampling and allocated to experimental (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. The experimental group received nurse‑guided play therapy using a bubble blower toy immediately before and during venipuncture, while the control group received routine care. Pain was assessed immediately after venipuncture using the Wong‑Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, unpaired t‑test, and chi‑square test at 0.05 level of significance. Results: In the experimental group, 36.67% of children had minimal pain, 56.67% had moderate pain, 6.67% had significant pain, and none had severe pain. In the control group, 36.67% had significant pain and 63.33% had severe pain, with no children in minimal or moderate categories. The mean post‑test pain score was 4.00 ± 1.14 in the experimental group and 8.07 ± 1.05 in the control group, giving a mean difference of 4.07. The unpaired t‑test showed a statistically significant difference in mean pain scores (t = 14.35, df = 58, p = 0.001). No significant association was found between pain level and selected demographic variables in the experimental group. Conclusion: Play therapy using a bubble blower toy is an effective, safe, economical, and child‑friendly non‑pharmacological intervention to reduce venipuncture‑related pain among children aged 4–7 years. It can be recommended as a routine nursing intervention in pediatric units to support atraumatic and child‑centered care, especially in resource‑constrained government hospitals.