Long-term hospitalizations of children and adolescents with complex chronic health conditions imply many restrictions to common childhood experiences. Many of them are born, grow up, and even die in the hospital without ever having known their homes. The care experience of this group was triggered by a narrative investigation. Workers from a public pediatric hospital dedicated to the care of complex clinical profiles were invited to tell stories that marked their memory. The evocation of the affective dimension of care pointed to the tensioning of the established normative limits. Hospital rules were made more flexible to benefit children and adolescents. These situations, which are called transgressions and concessions in this study, were analyzed to discuss important aspects of the micro-relationships and culture of care. Resistance mechanisms stand out in an effort to overcome or repair an environment often considered dehumanizing.
Keywords:
Chronic Disease; Child; Health Personnel; Empathy; Narrations