Journal of Psychiatry

Pain management: Child life specialists perspectives

19^th Global Congress on Pediatricians & Child Psychiatry

July 12-13, 2017 Chicago, USA

Steffenie Susanto

Mills College, Singapore

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

During procedures like venipuncture, child life specialists are able to incorporate non-pharmacological measures when most medical staff focus on pharmacological measures. There is little research about what types of interventions child life specialists believe are effective at minimizing childrenâ??s pain and increasing coping skills during venipuncture. The purpose of the current study was to examine child life specialistsâ?? perspectives on the different techniques available in the hospital setting. An online survey of 75 certified child life specialists asked about the types of techniques that child life specialists use during venipuncture. Further, questions were asked on how child life specialists felt about the efficacy of pharmacological and nonpharmacological techniques with a variety of different ages. Results revealed that child life specialists felt that combining two techniques helps to minimize pain during venipuncture for pediatric patients more than the use of a single technique. These results applied to preschoolers, school-aged children and adolescents.

Biography :

Steffenie Susanto is student at Mills College, USA. She also has international experience (Singapore, Australia, Myanmar and the United States) working with children in various settings including hospitals with pediatrics care and academia settings. She is currently working towards being certified as a Child Life Specialist.