"Oh no, the patient is six, not sixty!": the pediatric endoscopy patient.
The success of a pediatric endoscopic procedure from the point of view of both the nurse and the child depends on many factors. It is necessary for the nurse to prepare the pediatric patient both physically and emotionally. The physical preparation includes diet orders, colon preps, and venipuncture techniques. The emotional preparation includes preparing the pediatric patient in a developmentally appropriate manner. Nurses facilitate the child's tolerance of the procedure through the processes of trust, understanding, and mastery. These preparations are viewed as essential in order for the child to integrate this medical experience into his/her already existing repertoire of experiences as positive. Conscious sedation and recommendations for monitoring child safely are important pediatric considerations, as are recovery and discharge instructions. A table for pediatric vital signs, an endoscopy unit scoring sheet, and sample discharge instructions are included in this article. The information presented in this article can help the experienced pediatric nurse, as well as the nurse who only occasionally cares for the pediatric patient, make the endoscopy procedure more successful.
Walsh
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D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009737:Nursing Records; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011300:Preoperative Care