Abstract
Objective: To understand the perception of schoolchildren regarding hospitalization. Method: This is a qualitative study, carried out in a public pediatric hospital of reference for the 21st Health Macro-region Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará. The research was carried out between February and November 2017. The study population was 10 school children. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview and analyzed using content analysis. Results: From the data analysis, two thematic categories emerged: perception of school child about hospitalization, and view of child regarding hospitalization. From these it was possible to understand the view of child and / or opinion about hospitalization and the reasons related to it, the feelings and experiences experienced by children during this episode, their perception of the hospital environment, activities and procedures developed during this period, and the attention from health professionals. Final considerations: It is concluded from the study that children understand the reasons for hospital admission, and that although they relate hospitalization only to invasive and painful procedures, they understand the need for them to recover their health.