The Lived Experience of Play and How It Relates to Psychological Wellbeing: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Study Amongst Undergraduate Students from Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health Professions’ Programmes in the United Kingdom
Table 3
Master table of GETs.
PETs
Direction of analytical movement
GET (1)
Subthemes
Teasing, jokes, banter, competitions, board games, pranks, and food
Playtime (expression of play)
Subtheme 1
Informal play
(a) Unstructured
(b) Structured
Having fun with patients
Subtheme 2
Patient play
TikTok and Snapchat to play and connect
Subtheme 3
Social media play
Behind the scenes, when the ward/department is quiet
Subtheme 3
Covert play
PETs
Direction of analytical movement
GET (2)
Subthemes
Individual staff and their personal characteristics instigating play
The clinical playground (facilitative and limiting factors)
Subtheme 1
“Big personalities”
Need to be careful around the band 6’s and 7s
Subtheme 2
“The pecking order”
There is a time and a place to play
Subtheme 3
“The play paradox”
PETs
Direction of analytical movement
GET (3)
Subthemes
Play lightning/boosting mood
“Flourishing” (psychological wellbeing)
Subtheme 1
Energizing/soothing effects of play
Positive affect
In with the crowd “acceptance”
Subtheme 2
Team building
Relationships and connectedness
Play makes the patients’ episode of care more comfortable, leading to a sense of purpose and job satisfaction
