How do you deal with a crying child?

[bambam1288]

i am a nursing student and don't have children of my own so i have no clue on how to clam a child down so i can inspect wounds. i have a child who crying and moving her arms and legs. she won't let me come near her, let alone clean her wounds. what are some good methods that allow me to comfort her enough to inspect and clean her wounds? my attempts have failed please help!

[J9G2008]

@ Ayvah: Yes, I think parents should be left in the position of comforter. There is plenty of staff in the hospital to hold a leg or arm if need be. And at the regular pediatrician's office, two nurses automatically come in when there are shots to be given. Each takes one leg, and boom they're done.

Just FYI: My son had his trach decannulated after major surgery over two years ago, when he was two years old. Several times over the past 6 months, he has had nightmares. When he calms down enough to talk, he says, "I dreamed the doctor hurt me." while pointing to his throat (the old trach site). So even though we think kids can't remember, they do.

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

I work in an strictly Peds. ER and for painful procedures like IV starts or straight caths. we never have a parent be the one to hold the child because it is believed that the child will associate the parent with the painful experience. We always have staff members hold the child and the parents are the comforters during and after the procedure. I have found that a scared child of any age will not stop crying for an IV stick or straight cath. even if you have the parent hold the child, but if the parent is at the head of the bed talking to the child trying to calm them and comfort them then the procedure tends to go better. Now during assessments some children tend to be scared of a stethoscope or blood pressure cuff and it IS better for the parent to hold the child or sit with the child during that procedure because they can calm the child but then again those are not painful procedures, they can be just a little scary for a child who doesn't understand what is happening to them. As a matter of fact, I will say that during painful procedures I recommend that parents are NOT the ones who hold the child because they do not usually hold the child firmly enough and are afraid of hurting the child and this can potentially complicate the procedure (especially during lumbar punctures or straight caths.) which can be dangerous if the child is not restrained properly. In the ER we have Child Life which is excellent at: helping to explain procedures to children of various ages, distract the child during the procedure and calm the child after the procedure with stickers and toys to play with or movies to watch. This is why I love Peds!

!Chris