Magic Show Featuring "Kuco" for Pain and Fear During Invasive Procedures

Children frequently experience pain and fear during invasive procedures such as venipuncture and peripheral intravenous catheter insertion. These experiences may negatively affect children's cooperation during procedures and increase anxiety related to future healthcare encounters. Non-pharmacological distraction techniques are recommended to reduce procedure-related pain and fear in pediatric patients. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of a standardized magic show featuring "Kuco" on pain and fear experienced by children during invasive procedures. Eighty children aged 5-8 years who require venipuncture or peripheral intravenous catheter insertion will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Children in the intervention group will receive a standardized magic show performed with the "Kuco" puppet before and throughout the invasive procedure, whereas children in the control group will receive routine clinical care only. Pain and fear will be assessed immediately before and after the procedure using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and the Children's Fear Scale. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of a magic show-based distraction intervention for reducing procedure-related pain and fear in children.

Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 5 to 8 years. * Requiring venipuncture or peripheral intravenous catheter insertion in the pediatric emergency department, pediatric blood collection unit, or pediatric day-care unit. * Able to communicate in Turkish. * Conscious and able to respond to the study scales. * No visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with participation in the intervention or outcome assessment. * Parent or legal guardian provides written informed consent, and the child provides assent when appropriate. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of a chronic psychiatric or neurological disorder. * Presence of a severe chronic medical condition that may affect pain or fear perception. * Administration of analgesic, sedative, or anxiolytic medication before the procedure. * Previous participation in this study. * Child or parent refuses to participate or withdraws consent at any stage of the study. * Failure to complete the invasive procedure or the study assessments.