Nurse, Parent, and Nurse Leader Perspective on Adoption of iPads for Pediatric Preoperative Anxiety Reduction

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an iPad to facilitate distraction and reduce anxiety with preoperative pediatric patients.

The authors conducted a descriptive case study in a Pre-Anesthesia Surgical Suite.

Nurses were trained on the use of the iPad, which came preloaded with games. The research staff took detailed notes during training and implementation. Research staff conducted interviews with nurses, leaders, and patient guardians for the study.

The authors discovered different perspectives among the clinical nurse, parent, and nursing leadership. The clinical nurse felt the iPad afforded them more focused time with the parents before surgery, though there was some hesitation at the beginning due to ownership of the devices. The parents felt the iPads were helpful to distract their child but worried there were not enough games appropriate for various age ranges. Nursing leadership found the iPads helpful in building a connection with the patient and their parents. Still, they felt many obstacles made integrating the use of the iPads in the nurses' workflow very difficult. There were technological issues that also delayed and discouraged the use of iPads. Once these preliminary issues were resolved, the iPad appeared to reduce anxiety in both patients and their parents.

The iPad is an evidence-based intervention used for preoperative anxiety reduction. This study identifies essential facilitators and barriers associated with adopting the technology from the perspective of key stakeholders (nurses, parents, and nursing leadership). Overall, the iPad was considered a valuable tool to help parents feel less stressed with their child, allowing them to interact more effectively with the clinician. However, additional work is indicated to address the limitations regarding sample size and actual measures of anxiety.