Addressing Differences and Challenges in the Pediatric Perioperative Setting

Abstract

T his special issue of the AORN Journal highlights articles related to the care of pediatric patients and timely information related to succession planning for the specialty setting aimed to quell the projected critical perioperative nursing shortage. It is our hope that this issue, in addition to providing readers with information they can immediately apply in practice, will inform readers interested in improving pediatric perioperative care through focused quality and research initiatives. This special issue features excellent articles that those who care for pediatric surgical patients on a daily basis or only on occasion will find applicable.Caring for pediatric patients often involves caring for the entire family. Providing family-centered care is a growing trend in hospitals, especially in pediatric settings. 1,2 Familycentered care is a collaborative approach that integrates the strengths, cultures, traditions, and expertise of both the patient and his or her family into all aspects of medical care, with a goal of improving outcomes. 3 The use of a family-centered perioperative pediatric care model incorporates all components of the child's care, including the preoperative period (eg, preparation for surgery), the intraoperative period (eg, management strategies), and the postoperative period (eg, pain management and recovery at home). 2 To effectively implement the family-centered care model, the institution must employ an adequate number of health care providers who understand the pediatric specialty and can provide optimal perioperative care to this population.

Refining guidelines for the care of paediatric perioperative patients in a rural health care facility

“…Parental presence is one of the main interventions for the management of preoperative anxiety 15 . Parental presence reduces separation anxiety, decreases the need for premedication and will provide a positive surgical experience with superior outcomes [16][17][18] . However, parents must feel involved and safe with the perioperative care provided, otherwise parental anxiety will increase the child's anxiety 15,17 .…”

Commentary: Preoperative information needs of parents: a descriptive survey

“…Furthermore, not all parents are the same and not all surgery is the same. Developmentally, not all children are the same or experience surgery, elective or not, in the same way (Terry and Grego, 2016). It may be helpful to broaden the focus towards exploring children’s developmental and family-centred care needs in future research.…”