There are many situations I find myself in as a Child Life Specialist in which I am amazed by how chaotic and uncoordinated things are. I've come to learn that healthcare professionals know a lot of information regarding patient care and steps needed to heal, but quite a few have a poor ability to stay calm and collected when stressed. I believe that this is one of the greatest skills a Child Life Specialist can possess, keeping cool under pressure.
Kids in a hospital environment are constantly making judgements about their safety based on their interactions and observations of the adults around them. In my work I need to be able to assess situations carefully, and quickly, so I can positively influence these judgements made by the patients. The phrase 'Keep Calm and Child Life' really rings true! There are multiple things that many Child Life specialists do to help patients... and staff, keep their cool.
1.) Parental Presence: This is a really great tool to use when there are really supportive caregivers around. I always encourage parents to remain at bedside and when I can I like to advocate for positioning for comfort. This is SUCH a simple thing to do and it has a big impact on patient coping when their trusted comfort-er is present in the room to keep them safe.
2.) One Voice: It is really easy for a patient room to become loud and overwhelming. It's the natural inclination of healthcare providers to try and comfort a patient if they are crying during a procedure, it's the same reason they got into a caring profession in the first place. The part that makes this hard though is when everyone in the room wants to "support" and "comfort" the patient at the same time! One Voice is really that simple, one voice talking calmly to the patient. Sometimes it's helpful to pick the one voice prior to a procedure starting.
3.) Child Friendly Language: So simple to understand but sometimes so easily missed in the hospital environment. Things as simple as using the words 'Medicine Straw' instead of IV can make the world of a difference when preparing kids for a medical encounter. This is something that every healthcare professional can do. It is helpful to give some tips sometimes though, I once overheard a male nurse describe a tourniquet as "Mr. Rubber"........ that definitely made the dad in the room laugh out loud!
4.) Developmentally Appropriate Opportunity for Control: Kids don't have a lot of choice of what happens to them in the hospital and this is a really hard thing for them to handle, especially for toddlers and teens. Giving a patient appropriate choices when they are available helps give some control back to them. They may not be able to choose if they get a shot or not, but they can choose which arm/leg it goes into and they can choose what type of distraction is used.
These are all interventions that can improve a patient's experience and increase their coping. It's hard to learn how to keep your cool, but once you do.. your ability to help patients and their families will grow by leaps and bounds!
-K
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