Clinical Pediatrics: Open Access
Open Access
ISSN: 2572-0775
ISSN: 2572-0775
Sema Bayraktar and Elif Koyuncuoglu
Bezmialem Vak�������±f University, Turkey
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Clin Pediatr
Despite all advancements in the field of pediatrics, the treatments of disorder are still traumatic, painful and frightening for the child. Therefore, atraumatic care is one of the new prominent concepts. Atraumatic care is a care approach that removes or reduces the psychological and physical disorder suffered by children and their families. The procedures applied may induce anxiety, despair, obscurity, fear and loss of control in the child and the family. Atraumatic care is based on the principle of avoiding harm. Pediatric nurses should determine how many children should be protected where, when, how and why for the sake of their psychological and physical well-being. In her conceptual model, Wong defined three principles for atraumatic care. The first is to prevent or limit the child���¢��������s breaking away from family. The second is to develop the sense of self-control in the child and family. And the third is to prevent bodily injury and manage the pain in order to ensure the child���¢��������s comfort. Also, in addition to Wong���¢��������s principles, identifying stress factors for the family and facilitating to a common dialogue between family and health professionals are also the concepts of atraumatic care. The main areas of practice of atraumatic care are pain, medication, reflexology, massage and game. Game helps the children to relax, cope with stress, be aware of their condition, and express their feelings and opinion. Setting up a small playground for hospitalized children relaxes both the latter and their families. Gaming approaches in atraumatic care involve parents in the child���¢��������s treatment process and speed up recovery. When children play, they better tolerate routine examinations and painful treatments. Therefore, playgrounds should be built in hospitals and equipped with medical toys. For instance, a hairless baby doll, a baby doll with removable organs and a baby doll with stoma are examples of such therapeutic toys used to describe postchemotherapy condition, bodily structure and post-surgery condition of the child respectively. Therapeutic games and toys make it easier for children to describe the events they experience in the hospital. At the same time, painting and story-telling activities help children to express themselves. In conclusion, novel treatments and practices aimed at eliminating stressors in procedures applied to children should be discovered. Atraumatic care is an innovative and up-to-date care approach where pediatric nurses can also deploy their professional independent roles.
Sema Bayraktar completed her Graduation at Istanbul University in 2008, Master’s degree in Pediatric Nursing at Istanbul University and pursuing PhD in this program. Between 2008 and 2009, she worked as a Pediatric Nurse in Pediatric Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Baskent University (Istanbul) and worked as a Neonatal Nurse in NICU at Ã?°stanbul University in 2009-2015. Since 2015, she has been working as a Lecturer at Bezmialem VakÃ?±f University.