Selected Podcast
Pediatric Intervention: Preparing Your Child for Surgery
Vicky Hopely, Senior Child Life Specialist, and Mallory Harrison, Child Life Specialist, discuss what this field entails and share tips for parents who are preparing their child for surgery.
Featured Speaker:
Vicky Hopley | Mallory Harrison
Vicky Hopley, Child Life Specialist and Mallory Harrison, Child Life Specialist, are both members of the Pediatric Intervention Team at Emerson Hospital. The two serve as pediatric health care professionals who work with children and families in hospitals to help them cope with the challenges of hospitalization, illness and disability. Transcription:
Bill Klaproth (Host): When it comes to your child needing surgery, this can be a really trying time for you and your child. Child life specialists are here to help. So let’s get some tips for preparing your child for surgery with Mallory Harrison and Vicky Hopley, both child life specialists at Emerson Hospital. This is Healthworks Here, the podcast from Emerson Hospital. I'm Bill Klaproth. Vicky, can you tell us what do you and Mallory do as child life specialists?
Vicky Hopley (Guest): Sure. As child life specialists, we are providing the emotional support for children and families when they come to the hospital. We provide preparation for procedures. We help develop family coping strategies and really try to minimize the stress for children and families encountering the hospital environment. We’re really trying to maximize opportunity for children to master whatever they are encountering and trying not to interrupt their development and try to provide a sense of normalcy by developing a therapeutic relationship with both the child and family.
Host: I know one of the things you do is to incorporate play. Mallory, can you tell us about that?
Mallory: Children, as you know, learn and grow by using play. So in the hospital, we use play and play materials to first of all normalize the hospital experience. We use therapeutic play to familiarize children with the medical aspects of their care. We play with the anesthesia mask. We play with the IV equipment. It really does provide a sense of mastery to have children touch and explore the instruments that are taking care of them and providing them with health.
Host: Then Vicky, how do you prepare a child with special needs for surgery?
Vicky: We’ll call parents the day before or a few days before their scheduled surgery. Part of what we ask is for them to describe their child and help us understand how we can best support them when they're here. For example, does your child have any cognitive delays or language delays? Is your child on the spectrum for autism? It’s so helpful for parents to be honest with us about their child knowing that they know their child best so that we can accommodate their needs. For example, knowing what triggers their child—like loud noises or too many people in a room—so that when we know these kinds of things ahead of time then we can really cater to the needs of that child specifically.
Host: Well, that’s really good to know how you specifically tailor the needs to each individual child. Mallory, when it comes to the parents, do you have any tips then for parents when preparing their child for surgery?
Mallory: Yes. It feels like such a daunting task, I'm sure, as a parent, but remember you are the expert on your child. You know your child the best. So the main thing I think is to get comfortable with the idea of the surgery itself. Children sometimes feel that a surgery could be even like a punishment. Children have that magical thinking idea. So get the facts straight. They did nothing wrong. Something inside of them perhaps is not working as well as it should. The doctor knows how to fix that. So be comfortable with the information. Together, you can choose some books from the library. I know there are lots of good children’s books about animals having surgery. You can use language that’s appropriate for your child. Give them information that would be age appropriate and just reassurance.
Host: That calm reassurance can really help put a child at ease. Vicky, I know you wanted to add something in.
Vicky: I just wanted to add in that we have a wonderful video that’s available on the Emerson Hospital website. It’s called Alex’s operation. It’s been created for children ages four to about ten years old. It walks through a child who’s having surgery here at Emerson. It’s a wonderful tool and resource for family’s to use.
Host: Then Vicky, are there any mistakes a parent can make when preparing their child for surgery?
Vicky: I think one of the biggest mistakes the parent can make is really painting an unrealistic picture of what might happen. The surgeon’s usually do a great job of what to expect, but children are used to going to a visit to the doctor’s office. Coming to the hospital for surgery is very different than that. So just saying, “You're going to see Dr. So and So,” isn’t very helpful. To really paint a realistic picture is much better. The other thing is children take their cues from parents. So if parents are feeling anxious themselves, we’re pretty sure that children are feeling those same worries. So if a parent has worries, it’s always great for them to give us a call as well and really tell us what they’re feeling most worried about. Another mistake parents can make sometimes is talking about their own experiences. For example, if they’ve had surgery as a child. Hospitals and surgical procedures are very different nowadays than they were in parent’s generation. So sometimes talking about your own experience isn’t as helpful as you might think.
Host: Those are really good thoughts Vicky. Mallory, what did you want to add?
Mallory: I think another thing is to assure parent’s that it’s okay to say it looks like you're a little worried. It’s okay to acknowledge the fear because then you can deal with i.t you're not going to make a child afraid by saying, “You look a little worried. Let’s talk about that.” It’s so much better than saying, “There's nothing to be worried about. Don’t be nervous.” You can just bring it out and then you can deal with it.
Host: Yeah. So I think that’s a really good point you both made. So first off, be careful of setting unrealistic expectations. Then it’s okay to acknowledge the worry in your child as well.
Mallory: Also, if there will be some discomfort after, you can say, “Yes, your eyes will be a little bit sore, but we can help with that. Yes, your throat will for sure be sore, but popsicles and medicine will help with that too.” So that the expectations are clear.
Host: Yeah. I think that’s really, really good. So then speaking of expectations and things like that, Mallory what can we expect on the day of surgery?
Mallory: Well, with children what we try to do is give a call ahead of time, usually a day or two before, to talk to the parent about their child. Simple things like what the child likes to watch on TV, maybe a favorite character, things the child likes to do activity wise so that we have a sense of the child so that when they come into the room, we would have a welcome sign. Say the child was into Curious George, a welcome sign with Curious George. [inaudible 08:42] members make us pillowcases and blankets so that the bed would be covered with those. We probably put our coping kit, an age appropriate therapeutic toys on the bed as well as something else. So they enter into an environment that is already softened rather than staring at suction material on the wall. It’s a child friendlier environment and we’ll get them to step into a room that says, “There's a child in here.”
So the nurses down in the surgical daycare, they are so child friendly. The language that we use with children, we try to remove the fear from the language. If they need to have an IV, we would talk about it in terms of a little plastic straw that rests in your vein rather than a needle in there. So it’s language, it’s environment, it’s a sense of calm. We would educate the parent that morning if we haven’t on the phone about what the anesthesia induction will look like. We would play with the anesthesia mask, have the child roar like a lion through it or have the parent try it on the parent’s nose just to be very familiar and demystify and de-scare the mystiques around everything. Sometimes we have the child color is with lip glosses, smells so they can choose their own smell. Then the parent will come with the child to the operating room, ride in the bed with them. Stay with them until they breathe the medicine here to go to sleep. We have the parent or two be with the child when they wake up in the recovery room.
We talked a little bit about educating the parent on the recovery. Kids often don’t have the experience of knowing what actually has happened. So many are frightened. They might wake up crying or very upset. So we would prepare the parent for any of those kinds of reactions and encourage the parent to hop in the bed with the child. The recovery room nurses are just fabulous offering reassurance and normalcy as best they can.
Host: Again, reinforcing that reassurance and normalcy is so important. So Vicky, as we wrap up with you, can you share any last thoughts we should know? How can parents get in touch with you?
Vicky: Sure. Just a couple of thoughts to add to the conversation. One is if a child has like a comfort item—like a blanket or stuffed animal that gives them comfort—we always encourage parents to bring that. Also, if a child has an existing strategy for relaxing—like deep breathing—you can practice those strategies before you come to the hospital and use those same strategies when you get here. What's great about what child life specialists do and what Mallory and I try to do is to have a child and family leave the hospital feeling really great about having had to do some hard things but being really proud that they were able to do it and to do it together successfully.
Host: Very well said. Then how can someone get in touch with you or Mallory?
Vicky: In order to get in touch with us, you could call the number 978-287-3422. That’s a direct line to our main office.
Host: Excellent. Well thank you Vicky. We appreciate that. Thank you Mallory and Vicky for your time today.
Vicky: Thank you Bill.
Mallory: Thanks Bill very much for having us.
Host: Once again, that’s Mallory Harrison and Vicky Hopley. Please call 978-287-3422. That’s 978-287-3422 or visit emersonhosp.org to learn more. If you like what you’ve heard on this podcast, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Healthworks here from Emerson Hospital. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth (Host): When it comes to your child needing surgery, this can be a really trying time for you and your child. Child life specialists are here to help. So let’s get some tips for preparing your child for surgery with Mallory Harrison and Vicky Hopley, both child life specialists at Emerson Hospital. This is Healthworks Here, the podcast from Emerson Hospital. I'm Bill Klaproth. Vicky, can you tell us what do you and Mallory do as child life specialists?
Vicky Hopley (Guest): Sure. As child life specialists, we are providing the emotional support for children and families when they come to the hospital. We provide preparation for procedures. We help develop family coping strategies and really try to minimize the stress for children and families encountering the hospital environment. We’re really trying to maximize opportunity for children to master whatever they are encountering and trying not to interrupt their development and try to provide a sense of normalcy by developing a therapeutic relationship with both the child and family.
Host: I know one of the things you do is to incorporate play. Mallory, can you tell us about that?
Mallory: Children, as you know, learn and grow by using play. So in the hospital, we use play and play materials to first of all normalize the hospital experience. We use therapeutic play to familiarize children with the medical aspects of their care. We play with the anesthesia mask. We play with the IV equipment. It really does provide a sense of mastery to have children touch and explore the instruments that are taking care of them and providing them with health.
Host: Then Vicky, how do you prepare a child with special needs for surgery?
Vicky: We’ll call parents the day before or a few days before their scheduled surgery. Part of what we ask is for them to describe their child and help us understand how we can best support them when they're here. For example, does your child have any cognitive delays or language delays? Is your child on the spectrum for autism? It’s so helpful for parents to be honest with us about their child knowing that they know their child best so that we can accommodate their needs. For example, knowing what triggers their child—like loud noises or too many people in a room—so that when we know these kinds of things ahead of time then we can really cater to the needs of that child specifically.
Host: Well, that’s really good to know how you specifically tailor the needs to each individual child. Mallory, when it comes to the parents, do you have any tips then for parents when preparing their child for surgery?
Mallory: Yes. It feels like such a daunting task, I'm sure, as a parent, but remember you are the expert on your child. You know your child the best. So the main thing I think is to get comfortable with the idea of the surgery itself. Children sometimes feel that a surgery could be even like a punishment. Children have that magical thinking idea. So get the facts straight. They did nothing wrong. Something inside of them perhaps is not working as well as it should. The doctor knows how to fix that. So be comfortable with the information. Together, you can choose some books from the library. I know there are lots of good children’s books about animals having surgery. You can use language that’s appropriate for your child. Give them information that would be age appropriate and just reassurance.
Host: That calm reassurance can really help put a child at ease. Vicky, I know you wanted to add something in.
Vicky: I just wanted to add in that we have a wonderful video that’s available on the Emerson Hospital website. It’s called Alex’s operation. It’s been created for children ages four to about ten years old. It walks through a child who’s having surgery here at Emerson. It’s a wonderful tool and resource for family’s to use.
Host: Then Vicky, are there any mistakes a parent can make when preparing their child for surgery?
Vicky: I think one of the biggest mistakes the parent can make is really painting an unrealistic picture of what might happen. The surgeon’s usually do a great job of what to expect, but children are used to going to a visit to the doctor’s office. Coming to the hospital for surgery is very different than that. So just saying, “You're going to see Dr. So and So,” isn’t very helpful. To really paint a realistic picture is much better. The other thing is children take their cues from parents. So if parents are feeling anxious themselves, we’re pretty sure that children are feeling those same worries. So if a parent has worries, it’s always great for them to give us a call as well and really tell us what they’re feeling most worried about. Another mistake parents can make sometimes is talking about their own experiences. For example, if they’ve had surgery as a child. Hospitals and surgical procedures are very different nowadays than they were in parent’s generation. So sometimes talking about your own experience isn’t as helpful as you might think.
Host: Those are really good thoughts Vicky. Mallory, what did you want to add?
Mallory: I think another thing is to assure parent’s that it’s okay to say it looks like you're a little worried. It’s okay to acknowledge the fear because then you can deal with i.t you're not going to make a child afraid by saying, “You look a little worried. Let’s talk about that.” It’s so much better than saying, “There's nothing to be worried about. Don’t be nervous.” You can just bring it out and then you can deal with it.
Host: Yeah. So I think that’s a really good point you both made. So first off, be careful of setting unrealistic expectations. Then it’s okay to acknowledge the worry in your child as well.
Mallory: Also, if there will be some discomfort after, you can say, “Yes, your eyes will be a little bit sore, but we can help with that. Yes, your throat will for sure be sore, but popsicles and medicine will help with that too.” So that the expectations are clear.
Host: Yeah. I think that’s really, really good. So then speaking of expectations and things like that, Mallory what can we expect on the day of surgery?
Mallory: Well, with children what we try to do is give a call ahead of time, usually a day or two before, to talk to the parent about their child. Simple things like what the child likes to watch on TV, maybe a favorite character, things the child likes to do activity wise so that we have a sense of the child so that when they come into the room, we would have a welcome sign. Say the child was into Curious George, a welcome sign with Curious George. [inaudible 08:42] members make us pillowcases and blankets so that the bed would be covered with those. We probably put our coping kit, an age appropriate therapeutic toys on the bed as well as something else. So they enter into an environment that is already softened rather than staring at suction material on the wall. It’s a child friendlier environment and we’ll get them to step into a room that says, “There's a child in here.”
So the nurses down in the surgical daycare, they are so child friendly. The language that we use with children, we try to remove the fear from the language. If they need to have an IV, we would talk about it in terms of a little plastic straw that rests in your vein rather than a needle in there. So it’s language, it’s environment, it’s a sense of calm. We would educate the parent that morning if we haven’t on the phone about what the anesthesia induction will look like. We would play with the anesthesia mask, have the child roar like a lion through it or have the parent try it on the parent’s nose just to be very familiar and demystify and de-scare the mystiques around everything. Sometimes we have the child color is with lip glosses, smells so they can choose their own smell. Then the parent will come with the child to the operating room, ride in the bed with them. Stay with them until they breathe the medicine here to go to sleep. We have the parent or two be with the child when they wake up in the recovery room.
We talked a little bit about educating the parent on the recovery. Kids often don’t have the experience of knowing what actually has happened. So many are frightened. They might wake up crying or very upset. So we would prepare the parent for any of those kinds of reactions and encourage the parent to hop in the bed with the child. The recovery room nurses are just fabulous offering reassurance and normalcy as best they can.
Host: Again, reinforcing that reassurance and normalcy is so important. So Vicky, as we wrap up with you, can you share any last thoughts we should know? How can parents get in touch with you?
Vicky: Sure. Just a couple of thoughts to add to the conversation. One is if a child has like a comfort item—like a blanket or stuffed animal that gives them comfort—we always encourage parents to bring that. Also, if a child has an existing strategy for relaxing—like deep breathing—you can practice those strategies before you come to the hospital and use those same strategies when you get here. What's great about what child life specialists do and what Mallory and I try to do is to have a child and family leave the hospital feeling really great about having had to do some hard things but being really proud that they were able to do it and to do it together successfully.
Host: Very well said. Then how can someone get in touch with you or Mallory?
Vicky: In order to get in touch with us, you could call the number 978-287-3422. That’s a direct line to our main office.
Host: Excellent. Well thank you Vicky. We appreciate that. Thank you Mallory and Vicky for your time today.
Vicky: Thank you Bill.
Mallory: Thanks Bill very much for having us.
Host: Once again, that’s Mallory Harrison and Vicky Hopley. Please call 978-287-3422. That’s 978-287-3422 or visit emersonhosp.org to learn more. If you like what you’ve heard on this podcast, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Healthworks here from Emerson Hospital. Thanks for listening.