Optimizing perioperative care for children and adolescents with challenging behaviors

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Quality Improvement
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Pediatric perioperative nurses face challenges caring for children with special developmental or behavioral needs.
• These children may not exhibit typical behaviors to express pain or anxiety, complicating care.
• Vulnerable pediatric populations require tailored approaches for effective perioperative management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance perioperative care for children with challenging behaviors and their families.
• To develop a screening tool for individualizing care plans before hospitalization.
• To identify specific interventions for nurses, child life specialists, and occupational therapists.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project focused on developing and implementing an adaptive care planning tool.
• The tool identifies specific behaviors, triggers, and communication patterns of children.
• Interventions were collaboratively identified by parents and the interprofessional healthcare team.

Main Results:

• Parent surveys indicated the tool effectively minimizes stressors and guides specific interventions.
• The adaptive care planning tool facilitated a more successful perioperative experience for patients and families.
• Collaboration with parents and the healthcare team led to best-practice care planning.

Conclusions:

• The developed screening tool significantly improves perioperative care for children with challenging behaviors.
• The adaptive care planning tool has proven effective and expanded its use across the organization.
• Individualized care planning is crucial for optimizing the healthcare journey of vulnerable pediatric patients.