Most every child’s least favorite things about going to the doctor is having blood drawn. La Rabida recognizes that, and our clinical laboratory manager decided to do something about it. “We are trying to make the experience less frightening for the child,” said Sherry Schmeler, MPA, MT (ASCP), SC. “Our patients must endure so much in managing their illness and many have had traumatic events in their young lives. We do not want them to feel traumatized about having their blood drawn.” The first focus of improving the experience for patients has been a focus on “customer service” methods. Staff has been trained in best practices for communicating with the child and family and how to put on their ‘happy-friendly face, according to Sherry. Our child life specialists have assisted and trained the lab staff in using comfort holds, which help keep the child comfortably in the chair and make tying the tourniquet easier, so the draw is as quick and painless as possible. Now, the children can also pick out a ball to squeeze from a “treasure chest,” and they can choose what type of sticker and Band-Aid they want after the procedure. “If we can diminish their anxiety, we hope that the child will be more apt to sit still and we can get a better blood specimen,” said Sherry. “Improved specimen collection will lead to fewer tests cancelled due to an inability to collect enough specimen. Improved tests can lead to improved diagnoses and treatment plans.” With the renovation and construction of the new Outpatient Center, the drawing room is now spacious enough to accommodate family members; it comfortably fits a stroller or a wheelchair and is double-sided, so two patients can be seen at once, decreasing patient waiting time. “We now have wall panel boxes that light up when touched and that play various music and animal sounds,” said Sherry. “Our intention is to distract them from the procedure and the needle. Overall, we hope to make it a more positive experience for our patients.”
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 16:00:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015