Preparing children and families for surgery: Mount Sinai's multidisciplinary perspective.
Upon learning that they must undergo surgery, children experience a range of emotions including fear, anger, guilt, and sadness. It has been demonstrated that children who are prepared for surgery and who have support throughout their hospitalization recover more quickly and have fewer emotional problems, such as separation anxiety and sleep disturbances, than those who are not prepared. Pre-surgical preparation programs allow children and their families the opportunity to preview the hospital experience in a supportive environment to reduce anxiety, increase knowledge, and enhance coping. Meet Me at Mount Sinai (MMAMS) is an innovative preoperative preparation program for children and their families that seeks to provide comprehensive emotional and cognitive preparation for surgery. MMAMS is led by a multi-disciplinary team of health care providers including a pediatric surgery nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, a social worker, and a child life specialist. The program utilizes a culturally-sensitive, multimodality preparation model to prepare children and families for the surgical experience.
Justus
Rachel
R
Pediatrics Department, Kravis Children's Hospital at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Wyles
Dana
D
Wilson
Joan
J
Rode
Diane
D
Walther
Virginia
V
Lim-Sulit
Nanita
N
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000786:Anger; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005239:Fear; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D013664:Teaching Materials