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Reducing Fear and Anxiety in Electrocardiography Procedures Using Distraction-Enhanced Environments in Pediatric
Aylin Arikan1, Figen Işık Esenay2
1PhD, RN, Graduate Schools of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Turkey.
Insights
An undersea-themed examination table cover (UTETC) effectively reduced fear and anxiety in children during electrocardiography (ECG) procedures. This intervention improved procedural success rates in a pediatric emergency setting.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Child Psychology
- Medical Intervention Efficacy
Background:
- Children experience fear and anxiety during both painful and painless medical procedures, including electrocardiography (ECG).
- Pediatric nurses must recognize and address the emotional distress children face during such procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of an undersea-themed examination table cover (UTETC) on children's fear and anxiety during ECG procedures.
- To determine if a novel intervention can mitigate procedural anxiety in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial involving 80 children aged 3-12 years.
- The experimental group used the UTETC during ECG, while the control group had a routine procedure.
- Data collected via video recording analysis and validated fear/anxiety scales.
Main Results:
- The UTETC group showed significantly lower levels of procedure-related fear and anxiety compared to the control group.
- Children in the experimental group completed the ECG procedure more successfully.
- No significant difference in baseline descriptive characteristics between groups.
Conclusions:
- The undersea-themed examination table cover (UTETC) is an effective intervention for reducing fear and anxiety in children undergoing ECGs.
- This simple, themed approach can improve the pediatric patient experience in emergency departments.
Background:
Children experience fear and anxiety not only during painful procedural interventions but also during painless procedural interventions such as electrocardiography (ECG). Pediatric nurses should be aware of the emotional changes experienced by children during ECG procedures.
Purpose:
The aim of this single-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled intervention study was to investigate the impact of the undersea-themed examination table cover (UTETC) on the levels of fear and anxiety experienced by children during ECG procedures.
Methods:
This study was conducted between April 1 and July 31, 2022, in the pediatric emergency department of a training and research hospital in Turkey. The participants included 80 children (experimental group = 40, control group = 40) aged 3-12 years. The experimental group underwent the procedure in the ECG room using the UTETC, while the control group underwent the routine procedure in the examination room. The entire process was video-recorded. Video recordings were watched by two nurses who were not otherwise involved in this study, and the data were collected using the Descriptive Data Form, the Children's Fear Scale, and the Children Emotional Manifestation Scale.
Results:
No statistically significant difference was found in the descriptive characteristics of the two groups ( p > .05). The experimental group completed the procedure more successfully than the control group with significantly lower levels of procedure-related fear and anxiety ( p < .05).
Conclusions/Implications For Practice:
The UTETC was found to be effective in reducing fear and anxiety in children aged 3-12 years during ECG procedures in a pediatric emergency department.
