Handling with care

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By Miranda Hunt
December 08, 2006 EAST

Nursing staff at the Mater Children’s Hospital emergency department are investigating a new way of managing distress in young patients.

A pilot study being undertaken at the hospital is comparing standard restraint methods used during blood tests and cannulation with a new ‘cuddle-hold’ method that involves parents in order to ascertain which method is the least stressful for a child.

Mater Children’s Hospital clinical nurse Kerry Hart, who is leading the study, says while there is plenty of evidence to show that having a drip inserted or blood taken can be very distressing to children, there is no evidence currently available on the best way to hold children during these procedures.

“Currently, the standard practice at Mater and in many other children’s hospitals is for the child to be lying down and restrained by a nurse while the procedure is taking place,” Ms Hart explains.

“Our randomized trial is looking at the effectiveness of this method [in terms of the child’s level of distress] and the effectiveness of a second method, whereby the child’s parent is asked to take them in a cuddle hold, with the child sitting up, while the procedure is performed,” she says.

The study, which is half-way to completion, will look at 50 cases using each method. Each procedure is videoed and assessed by a psychologist using a validated tool.

Ms Hart says to date, the cuddle-hold method is receiving strong feedback from parents asked to participate.

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