Conscious sedation in the pediatric population. Special considerations

The child requiring sedation has unique needs. The nurse caring for pediatric patients must have adequate knowledge to incorporate the physical, emotional, and psychological differences between children and adults into the child's overall plan of care. Because of these differences, sedation of the child presents a challenge. The nurse must continue to assess his or her knowledge of all facets of sedative agents and monitoring principles in the pediatric population to provide safe, effective quality care to children and their families.