Ask a Magnet Nurse

Nurses in The Children’s Place help ease anxiety for young patients 

Angela Strickland, RN
Clinical Nurse Manager of The Children’s Place, Special Care Nursery and Bearly Sick
St. Joseph’s/Candler

Smart Living: The Children’s Place is designed to meet children’s needs in a calm and comfortable environment. This is especially important when a child undergoes a surgical procedure. How do nurses in The Children’s Place help patients and parents manage their emotions?

Angela Strickland: Most of the anxiety comes from the unknown, so I always talk with the parents and explain everything that is going to happen. We do the same for the child, always making sure we are explaining things in a way they can understand. We are honest about having to do things that are uncomfortable, such as drawing blood, but we let them know that it won’t last but a second. And we do things like that in a separate treatment room, so they know that the room they are sleeping in is a safe space.

Smart Living: Does helping the child with anxiety also help the parents?

Angela Strickland: Yes, and this is important for the postoperative phase. We tell parents that their children may wake up disoriented and frightened as anesthesia wears off, and they will be dealing with pain that wasn’t there when they fell asleep. We encourage parents to bring something comforting—like iPads for older kids or stuffed animals for toddlers—to help ease them through their recovery.

We try to give children choices as well, even if it’s something as simple as getting a lab drawn now or in five minutes. Or taking their medicine from a syringe or a cup. It helps the children feel like they are participating in their care.