The Emotional Safety Initiative: Creating Comfort for Kids During Medical Procedures

In the early days of the pandemic, my daughter, who had suffered from a respiratory infection the previous winter, started to wheeze again. She would wake up at night, needing nebulizer treatments, and panic set in. My first thought was COVID-19. Her pediatrician prescribed a COVID test, which at that time required a nasal swab done by someone in full protective gear. My daughter bravely endured the swab, and thankfully, she tested negative. However, nearly a year later, she still recounts the experience, claiming the “swab touched her brain.”

While her experience led only to a vivid story, for many children, such encounters can foster a lasting fear and mistrust of medical environments. This is precisely what Child Life Specialists aim to prevent through initiatives like the Emotional Safety Initiative.

We spoke with Sarah Mitchell, President of the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), about this initiative, which emphasizes the importance of emotional safety alongside physical safety in pediatric care settings.

What Is The Emotional Safety Initiative?

The Emotional Safety Initiative is a movement advocating for emotional safety to be valued equally with physical safety in all medical experiences for children. Emotional safety is defined as a deliberate, interdisciplinary practice that fosters resilience, healing, and trust for young patients and their families during medical encounters. In essence, it seeks to create a supportive, stress-free experience for families, according to Mitchell.

The Framework of the Emotional Safety Initiative

The initiative is built on four key components:

Screening and Assessment: This element focuses on understanding patients and their families to build a supportive environment. Assessments can be performed before scheduled admissions or in real-time during emergencies.
Intervention: This aspect prioritizes the child’s comfort and seeks to learn from their past medical experiences to avoid replicating any distressing situations.
Environment: The initiative encourages healthcare providers to create child-friendly settings, noting that everything from adult attire to the size of medical equipment can be intimidating for children.
Education, Training, and Communication: This component involves training everyone in the medical facility—from security staff to medical professionals—on emotional safety standards.

The Importance of Emotional Safety

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network reports that 80% of pediatric patients and their families experience some form of traumatic stress after receiving treatment for serious illnesses or injuries. Short-term effects can include developmental setbacks and sleep disturbances, while long-term consequences may lead to a reluctance to seek healthcare as adults.

Mitchell shared a poignant story about a relative who, at the age of seven, underwent multiple surgeries and was only allowed limited parental visits. The lack of emotional safety resulted in a lifelong fear of medical settings, ultimately leading to her avoidable passing from a treatable condition.

Supporting Emotional Safety as Parents

One of the best ways parents can advocate for their child’s emotional safety is by recognizing the potential impact of medical procedures. Even seemingly simple interventions, such as a nasal swab, can have lasting effects. Parents should feel empowered to ask questions and understand their options, as they know their children best. For guidance on navigating emotional safety in healthcare, there’s a helpful resource available on the Emotional Safety Initiative website.

The overarching goal of the Emotional Safety Initiative is to encourage healthcare providers and parents to recognize that fostering emotional safety directly influences both the physical and mental well-being of children and families. This initiative is essential for nurturing a healthy, lifelong relationship with healthcare systems.

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In summary, the Emotional Safety Initiative is a vital movement aimed at ensuring that children not only receive physical care but also feel emotionally secure in medical environments. Through its multi-faceted approach, it seeks to mitigate the long-term psychological impacts of medical treatments on young patients.

Keyphrase: Emotional Safety Initiative in Pediatrics

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