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Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress
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  • Trauma-informed pediatric care

    What is Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress?

    • The basics
    • Prevalence & course
    • Traumatic stress symptoms
    • Risk factors
    • Understanding the family's experience
    • Key research findings

    How to Provide Trauma-Informed Care

    • The basics
    • D-E-F framework
    • Levels of risk and trauma-informed care
    • Timeline for trauma-informed care
    • Referral to mental health care
    • Addressing health disparities
    • Developmental considerations
    • Cultural considerations

    Self Care & Secondary Trauma

    • The basics
    • Self care tips
    • Organizational support
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    • The healthcare team
    • Physicians-PAs-NPs
    • Nurses
    • Pre-hospital providers
    • Medical interpreters
    • Mental health professionals
    • Child welfare professionals
    • Child Life Professionals
  • Professional Education
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  • Find Tools and Resources

    Patient Education

    Patient Education

    • For parents & caregivers
    • For children & teens

    Screening & Assessment

    Screening & Assessment

    • The basics
    • Find screening & assessment tools
    • Screening after pediatric injury
    • Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT)
    • Acute Stress Checklist (ASC-Kids)
    • Family Illness Beliefs Inventory (FIBI)

    Intervention

    Intervention

    • The basics
    • Surviving Cancer Competently (SCCIP)
    • Cellie Coping Kit

    Trauma-Informed Care

    Trauma-Informed Care

    • The basics
    • TIC Provider Survey
    • Observation Checklist - Pediatric Resuscitation

    COVID-19

    COVID-19

    • COVID-19
    • Resources for healthcare staff
    • COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales (CEFIS)
    • Helping my child cope

    Resources

    Resources

    • More resources
  • For Patients and Families
    • Coping with injury or illness
    • Sleep
    • Pain
    • Behavior
    • Worries & fears
    • Quiet or withdrawn
    • School
    • Siblings
    • Parents
    • Need more help?
    • Family voices

Self Care Tips to Prevent Secondary Traumatic Stress

In self care, the key is for individual [providers] to be able to identify their unique triggers and build a wide range of coping strategies that they can apply to particular situations... Compassion, often the ultimate gift of nurse to patient, must be nourished to be sustained.

Maytum, 2004

Practical strategies for preventing and reducing the effects of stress reactions

Each provider may have a different way of coping with work-related stresses. Find what works for you.

Preventing secondary traumatic stress: In your daily routine

  • Eat sensibly and regularly every day
  • Get adequate sleep each night
  • Exercise regularly
  • Be aware of your stress level; take precautions against exceeding your own limits
  • Acknowledge your reactions to stressful circumstances; allow yourself time to cope with these emotions

Preventing secondary traumatic stress: At work

  • Diversify tasks at work, or vary your caseload, to the extent that you can
  • Take breaks during your workday
  • Take vacation days
  • Use relaxation techniques (e.g., deep breathing) as needed
  • Talk with colleagues about how your work affects you
  • Seek out, or establish, a professional support group
  • Recognize your personal limitations; set limits with patients and colleagues

Preventing secondary traumatic stress: Outside of work

  • Spend time with family and friends
  • Stay connected with others through community events, religious groups, etc.
  • Engage in pleasurable activities unrelated to work, especially those that allow for creative expression (writing, art, music, sports, etc.)
  • Be mindful of your own thoughts (especially cynicism) and feelings; seek out the positives in difficult situations
  • Engage in rejuvenating activities such as meditation, prayer, or relaxation to renew your energy
  • Seek therapy if your work is negatively impacting your self-esteem, quality of life or relationships

Preventing secondary traumatic stress: RED FLAGS

Be on the alert for these immediate stress responses and/or long-term effects:

Physical Reactions

  • Fatigue
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Changes in appetite
  • Headaches
  • Upset stomach
  • Chronic muscle tension
  • Sexual dysfunction

Emotional Reactions

  • Feeling overwhelmed/ emotionally spent
  • Feeling helpless
  • Feeling inadequate
  • Sense of vulnerability
  • Increased mood swings
  • Irritability
  • Crying more easily or frequently
  • Suicidal or violent thoughts or urges

Behavioral Reactions

  • Isolation, withdrawal
  • Restlessness
  • Changes in alcohol or drug consumption
  • Changes in relationships with others, personally & professionally

Cognitive Reactions

  • Disbelief, sense of numbing
  • Replaying events in one’s mind over & over
  • Decreased concentration
  • Confusion or Impaired memory
  • Difficulty making decisions or problem-solving
  • Distressing dreams or fantasies

Tools and resources for self-care 

  • Learn about quick tools for coping with stress related to COVID-19  

  • Rate your responses using the Professional Quality of Life Measure (ProQOL)  
    • Measures both negative and positive effects on professionals from helping others who experience suffering and trauma.  Available in 27 languages
  • Download the Provider Resilience mobile app from the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (includes the ProQOL)
    • Give yourself a regular “checkup” – the app will help you track your responses over time.
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