Looking for a way to expand your patient care skills? How about free continuing education credits?
The Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress proudly presents “Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress”, an interactive, web-based continuing education module for nurses. Experiencing trauma through the eyes of Emily and Tariq, this module provides an introduction to the types of traumatic stress reactions nurses typically see in the early aftermath of medical injury and trauma. Learning to identify these signs and symptoms, nurses will be able to address the emotional reactions of their pediatric patients by using simple questions and assessments, like the DEF protocol [Distress, Emotional Support and Family], within the context of everyday nursing care.
Log on today to take advantage of this free continuing education opportunity!
Listen as Danielle Schwager and Matthew Jajen share their experiences as kids growing up with hemophilia in the The New York Times’ “Patient Voices”. Kimberly Martin also shares how she imagined her son, Scott’s, future shortly after his diagnosis.
A new study of adult hospital patients found that “Despite the importance of sleep for recovery, hospital noise may put patients at risk for sleep loss and its associated negative effects.” The study measured decibel levels objectively, and linked this to patient sleep disruption. Noise disruptions came from technology (pagers, alarms, intercoms) and from people (roommates, staff conversations). Hospitalist News points out that “patient report of noise is now a reported measure on Medicare’s Hospital Compare” and thus may be tracked more carefully to improve the patient experience.
What does this mean for our pediatric patients? What is your hospital doing to help kids get the best sleep they can?
Posted in Research
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Tagged hospital care
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Health care professionals are online and sharing ideas. A few interesting posts this week from a physician blog (KevinMD) we follow regularly: Why the family meeting is important and Insider tips to surviving your hospital stay.
Do you have a favorite nurse or physician blog?
Even though children are the main focus in pediatric care, sometimes parents require extra support and care during their child’s hospital stay. This is normal. Dealing with a sudden event and taking care of their child’s injuries or illness can be an unexpected and difficult disruption on the family’s day-to-day life. Reminding parents their feelings are normal, to take time to care for themselves, and to use their support systems are just a few practical coping tips. If one of your patient’s parents needs a bit of extra support, providing them with our self-care tip sheet for parents may help them through this challenging time.
What other tips do you give to parents struggling to cope with their child’s injury or illness?
Did you ever wonder why your co-workers chose a career in the healthcare profession? Ask them. The answer might surprise you. Many nurses report a traumatic medical event in their childhood being their reason for pursuing a career in nursing. Even my own decision to become a nurse was shaped by a medical event. When I was 14 I lost a close friend to cancer. As I watched her struggle through treatment for 2 years, I vowed to become a nurse and care for other children who were ill. The compassion and caring that the nurses provided my friend was so amazing, that I knew I wanted to provide the same care to others. Medical events in a child’s life leave a lasting impression; many will shape their future in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Did a medical event touch your life? Did it inspire you to become a healthcare professional?
What do kids in the hospital think about their nurses? Here’s another great study that listens to the perspectives of children and youth in the hospital. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio interviewed nearly 500 hospitalized children and youth (age 6 to 21) about their experiences.
In answer to the question “What do you like most about your nurses and what they do for you, and how does that make you feel?”, the top themes (mentioned by at least 20% of participants) were:
- Gives me what I need when I need it
- Checks on me often
- Talks, listens to me
- Nice, friendly
- Gives me medicine
- Gives me things to do
- Helps me do things
These things made them feel good, happy, safe, cared about, not so nervous, more comfortable, “like I am special”.
Participants were also asked “What don’t you like about your nurses and what they do for you, and how does that make you feel?”
Three top themes (mentioned by at least 20% of participants):
- Does things to me that hurt or are uncomfortable
- Wakes me up
- Doesn’t give me what I need when I need it
Kids reported that these things made them feel sad, bad, mad, scared, uncomfortable, “like they don’t care about me”.
What would YOU like to ask pediatric patients about their experiences?
How important is compassionate care for hospital patients (of all ages)? How well are we providing it? A recent survey of 800 recently hospitalized patients and over 500 physicians tries to answer those questions and sets out an “Agenda for Improving Compassionate Care” in hospitals in the US.
Some key survey findings: “broad agreement that compassionate care is “very important” to successful medical treatment. However, only 53 percent of patients and 58 percent of physicians said that the health care system generally provides compassionate care.”
The authors (leaders from the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Health Care) make specific recommendations for training, assessment and research, and financial incentives.
What would be your “agenda” for consistently achieving compassionate patient-centered hospital care?
Heading home after a hospital stay is usually a much anticipated day for pediatric patients and families. But kids and parents can also experience anxiety when leaving the “safety net” of the hospital behind and returning to normal routines . As a healthcare provider, you can teach parents how to make the transition home easier for their child, and our parent tip sheet can help.
Hear Shanoah Moore (8 yrs old) and her mother Sonya, and Tiffany Davis (mother of two young sons with the disease), talk about how their families are living with sickle cell. The New York Times’ “Patient Voices” is a great resource!
