When Surgery is Scary: Overcoming Anxiety in Our Pediatric Patients

Surgery can be a scary experience for anyone, especially children. Being in an unknown environment with so many strange faces mixed with the fear of needles, pain, or separation from parents can significantly increase a child's anxiety, all before they even enter the operating room. Induction of anesthesia only increases that anxiety when we hold a child down, and force them to breathe anesthesia gases through a mask held tightly to their face. But, there are ways that we can make the operating room a less anxious place. Join us as we talk with Diane Miller, CRNA, and CEO of PEDIA, LLC., about the ways that decreasing anxiety in children before surgery can improve the entire surgical experience. We'll discuss ways that OR staff can help reduce anxiety, we'll cover special considerations for the pediatric population, and we'll discuss the ways that play can improve the surgical experience for children. Love our show? Now you can download our BRAND NEW First Case mobile app on: 📲 Apple users: https://zcu.io/gExL Android users: https://zcu.io/j7Kx Or you can subscribe to the podcast through: 💻 Apple Podcasts - https://zcu.io/qnVu iHeart Radio - https://zcu.io/5qkg Spotify - https://zcu.io/JkqK Stitcher - https://zcu.io/j76G #FirstCase #PediatricSurgery #Anxiety #Anesthesia #OperatingRoom #ORNurse #SurgicalTechnologist