Decreasing Children's Anxiety in an ER

[pedsnurse16]

Below I have created a top 20 list of numerous different ways to decrease a child's (no age restrictions) anxiety in an Emergency Room...

1. Always smile

2. Don't use fancy medical terminology

3. Always explain to the CHILD what you are doing and the parents can follow along

4. Create an environment that will make the child comfortable

5. Utilize resources such as Child Life Specialist, even the parents

6. Sing, dance, play music

7. Distract the child whether it be bubbles, movies, iPads, parents cell phone, keys

8. Minimize loud noises, bright lights

9. Show children a social storybook which basically will use pictures to explain medical procedures to them such as XRays, CT scans, IV placement

10. Let children touch and feel (as long as it doesn't compromise there safety) everything you are going to use on them, show them an example of yourself or their parents

11. Introduce yourself

12. Build trust with them

13. Give the child choices but no more than 3

14. Let the child have control by simply letting them choose which medicine they would like to take first

15. Do not lie to them, just sugar coat it a little bit, example being "you will feel a little pressure but it happens so fast it'll be over before you know it"

16. Try to figure out what "comforts" them.. such as a pacifier, certain song, blanket, certain stuffed animal

17. Advocate for that child

18. Talk to them at there level

19. Keep a safe distance with them until they start to warm up to you

20. Utilize any and every creative thought to make a task easier for a child to handle whether it works or not