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Hospital 101 > 411 from Dr. Sears

Power to the Parents: 10 Tips to Help Your Child (and you!) Cope with a Hospital Visit

You just received the call you've been dreading—your child slipped on the playground and is being taken to the Emergency Department. You may be lucky enough to avoid this scenario, but, unfortunately, many parents aren't. In fact, approximately 30 million children visit the Emergency Department each year.²¹

Advanced preparation can make a big difference in easing the anxiety of these frightening situations. Below are 10 tips to help parents make that experience a little easier for them and their children. They can apply to varied situations—either planned or unplanned visits to the hospital.

1. Find a Hospital Near You: Remember—you have a choice about which hospital you bring your child to. Determine which local hospital embraces a family-centered care philosophy for children and their families. Family-centered care is based on the understanding that the family plays a vital role for the well-being and health of patients.²²
2. No Time Like the Present to Prepare: Prepare your child for the hospital experience by describing the people he/she will meet and what procedures might occur during the visit. Studies have found that children who are prepared in advance for a hospital visit feel less anxious.²³ Play the Suitcase Packing Game with your child to teach them how to prepare for a hospital visit. There's even a printable checklist at the end of the game.
3. Manage your Child's Pain: Most children start their hospital visit with an IV insertion or blood draw—among the most frequently reported painful events in hospitalized children.²⁴ To help reduce the pain of these procedures, ask your healthcare provider for a topical local anesthetic, like Zingo^TM. Zingo provides rapid onset of analgesia in 1–3 minutes after administration. Doctors and nurses can use it before beginning a blood draw or IV insertion for children 3 to 18 years of age to reduce the pain associated with the procedure.^25,26
4. Seek Support from a Child Life Specialist: Ask if your hospital offers the services of a child life specialist who can partner with you to make your child's experience as positive as possible. This specialist, using her/his background in the growth and development of children, can help you and your child identify and practice successful distraction techniques and coping strategies to use. Additionally, the child life specialist can assure that your child has developmentally appropriate toys and activities during his/her stay in the hospital.
5. Stay Calm, Cool and Collected: Your child will look to you for support during this scary time, so it is important to remain calm. If you are calm, your child is less likely to feel anxious.²²
6. Your Questions Matter—Speak Up!: Ask questions, take notes and don't be afraid to speak up if you don't understand something. You have the right to understand what is happening to your child so you can make informed decisions about his/her care. If you want to get a head start on some typical questions parents have, go to the Kidz Korner section. The answers to these common questions are provided by an expert physician and nurse.
7. Pack A Favorite Toy or Activity: Bring 1–2 of your child's favorite comfort items to use while you are waiting (e.g., favorite blanket, stuffed animal, book or video game). Having familiar items will help your child feel safe and ease anxiety. There are other Comfort Tips available in the parents section of the site.
8. Provide Medical History: Keep a detailed record of your child's medical history in your wallet so that you're always prepared. This should include blood type, allergies, current medications, insurance and pediatrician information, previous injuries or hospitalizations. You can download a customizable Wallet Card and fill out your child's information also available in the parents section.
9. Honesty is the Best Policy: Be honest with your child about what is happening. If a procedure may be uncomfortable, prepare the child for it, but remember, children experience discomfort and/or pain in various ways. No matter what, your child will benefit from your presence and support.
10. Praise Goes a Long Way: Offer support and encouragement throughout the hospital process. For example, if your child has an x-ray, give them a hug and praise them for lying so still. Acknowledge their fear and support them for taking steps to overcome it. Download a Certificate of Bravery to reward your child.
11. Click here to download the certificate.

About Zingo^TM

Peripheral venous access procedures are among the most frequently reported painful events in hospitalized children.²⁴ The American Pain Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among other organizations, have developed recommendations that emphasize the importance of minimizing procedural pain in children whenever possible.²⁷ However, despite the existence of these recommendations, children undergoing these procedures remain largely under-treated.²⁸

Zingo^TM (lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate) powder intradermal injection system, 0.5 mg is an easy-to-administer, single-use, needle-free system that delivers sterile lidocaine powder to provide topical, local analgesia to reduce the pain associated with peripheral IV insertions or blood draws, approved for use in children aged three to 18. Zingo's rapid onset of action allows intravenous line placement or venipuncture to begin one to three minutes after administration. In clinical trials, the most common adverse events with Zingo were redness, red dots and swelling. For full Zingo prescribing information, go to http://www.zingo.com.