In the early days of the pandemic, my daughter, who had suffered from a respiratory infection the previous winter, began to wheeze again. She started waking in the night, needing nebulizer treatments, and my immediate thought was, “COVID.” Her pediatrician prescribed a COVID test, but during that time, the only testing method involved a nasal swab conducted by someone in protective gear who leaned into the car. My daughter endured the swab, describing it as a “swab that touched her brain” in great detail later on. Thankfully, she tested negative. However, the experience left a lasting impression on her, and for some kids, such events can lead to a deep-seated fear of medical environments. This is where Child Life Specialists come in, aiming to mitigate these fears through initiatives like the Emotional Safety Initiative.
I spoke with Jenna Brooks, President of the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), about this important initiative and its recent paper emphasizing the need to prioritize children’s emotional safety alongside their physical well-being during medical encounters.
What Is the Emotional Safety Initiative?
The Emotional Safety Initiative is a movement advocating for the equal importance of emotional safety and physical safety in all pediatric medical experiences. According to a press release from the ACLP, emotional safety involves intentional, interdisciplinary practices aimed at fostering resilience, healing, and trust for pediatric patients and their families during medical situations. Essentially, it seeks to ensure that patients and their families experience care that is both stress-free and emotionally supportive, as highlighted by Brooks.
The Four-Part Framework of the Emotional Safety Initiative
The Emotional Safety Initiative consists of four main components:
- Screening and Assessment: This element focuses on understanding patients and their families to create a supportive environment. Assessments can be conducted ahead of a planned admission or in real-time during emergency situations to gauge families’ experiences, strengths, and challenges.
- Intervention: This aspect centers on the child’s comfort and understanding their past experiences with medical procedures. The aim is to learn what was difficult for them in the past to avoid replicating those situations.
- Environment: For many children, the medical environment can be intimidating, from the outfits of healthcare professionals to the size of the equipment. This component encourages providers to create a more child-friendly atmosphere. For example, Brooks mentioned that her hospital is designing new patient rooms with parent beds positioned for maximum support during treatment.
- Education, Training, and Communication: Everyone in a medical facility plays a role in a patient’s emotional safety, from security personnel to medical staff. This component seeks to educate all team members on emotional safety standards.
The Importance of Emotional Safety
Research from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network indicates that around 80% of pediatric patients and their families experience some level of traumatic stress following medical treatment for serious illnesses or injuries. Immediate effects can include developmental regressions and sleep disturbances, while long-term consequences may involve a lack of trust in medical care. Brooks shared a heartbreaking story about a family member who developed a condition at age seven and endured numerous surgeries without emotional support. Tragically, this individual grew up with a profound fear of healthcare, which ultimately led to avoidable health complications.
How Parents Can Contribute to Emotional Safety
Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children’s emotional safety. They should recognize that even seemingly minor procedures, like a nasal swab, can have lasting effects. Ice cream outings afterward might not suffice to address these concerns. Parents are encouraged to ask questions and understand their options, as they are the experts on their children. For further guidance, parents can access resources through the Emotional Safety Initiative’s website to learn about the right questions to ask healthcare providers to ensure emotionally safe care.
The overarching goal of the Emotional Safety Initiative is to help healthcare providers and parents acknowledge that prioritizing emotional safety significantly impacts both the physical and mental health of pediatric patients. Emotional safety is vital for fostering a positive lifelong relationship with healthcare—an aspect that simply cannot be overlooked.
For additional insights, consider checking out this other post on emotional well-being.
Summary
The Emotional Safety Initiative emphasizes the importance of emotional safety for children in medical settings, aiming to mitigate potential trauma from medical procedures. This initiative provides a framework that includes screening, interventions, environmental adjustments, and education for all staff involved in pediatric care. Parents also play a critical role in supporting their children’s emotional safety by recognizing the potential long-term impacts of medical experiences.