Let’s Take A Trip!: Preparing Children for Hospital Transfer

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Across the United States there has been a progressive and steady decrease in children admitted to the original hospital but rather transferred to another facility. The notification of a transfer can be a significant stressful time for pediatric patients and their families. The goal of an initial assessment by a child life specialist is to determine a child’s risk for negative psychological outcomes due to transfer and hospitalization and to plan appropriate interventions. This presentation will inform the child life community about a research study completed to show the benefits of pediatric patients receiving a toolkit intervention aimed at decreasing levels of stress and anxiety when transferring to a higher-level care facility. The development of a new intervention will help alleviate such stress and can be beneficial for all parties involved. Certified Child Life Specialists collaborated with the interdisciplinary team to reduce the stress and anxiety of being in the Emergency Department by psychologically preparing and supporting patients for procedures, transfer, and admission to another hospital. Although child life specialists play an important role in children’s adaptation to hospitalization, evidence-based practice models support inter-professional collaboration as a means of strategically addressing complex issues associated with how children and their parents cope with medical challenges.

Suggested Domain: Assessment/Intervention

1.0 PDU

Learning Objectives:

1. Initial assessment of a child to determine the efficacy of psychosocial interventions provided by a Child Life Specialist in preparing children for transport to another medical facility.

2. Show the benefits of preparation for a pediatric patient being transferred to a higher level of care facility.

3. Alleviate the stress and anxiety of a pediatric patient and their family through an interdisciplinary team approach when the unexpected is present during a pediatric medical emergency.

Thank you to our generous sponsor of today's webinar, UW Madison.

Isabel A. Barata

MS, MD, MBA, FACP, FAAP, FACEP, FAAEM

Isabel A. Barata, MS, MD, MBA, FACP, FAAP, FACEP, FAAEM is Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine Hofstra/Northwell. She is the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Quality Director, for the Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics service lines. She has dedicated her career to improving the care of children in the emergency department through her extensive work in research, committee participation, and speaking engagements at the local, regional, national, and international level. Dr. Barata has been recognized with national and state awards for her commitment to the care of children in the emergency department.

Stephanie Cuvier

BA, CCLS, CEIM

Stephanie Cuvier began her career over fifteen years ago as a Certified Child Life Specialist at Children’s Hospital of NY Presbyterian Hospital in New York (CHONY) in the pediatric emergency department and continued in that capacity at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, NY for six years. Stephanie is currently the Lead Child Life Specialist at North Shore University hospital in the Northwell Health system in Manhasset, NY, where she specializes in pediatric emergency care and providing support for families of adult patients. Stephanie is also a certified educator of infant massage, trained in Resolve Through Sharing, and is skilled in level two Reiki. She is also part of the NSUH Team Lavender that consists of interdisciplinary group of professionals who are dedicated to supporting their colleagues during times of stress and/or hardship. She lives on Long Island, New York with her husband, her eleven-year-old son, and their rescue dog Zoey.

Christine (Chrissy) Thorne

MA, CCLS

Chrissy received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. She received her Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.

Chrissy has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for ten years. She has worked in both the pediatric emergency department as well as the inpatient unit at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in Stony Brook, New York. Currently, Chrissy is a Lead Child Life Specialist at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. Here Chrissy currently works in the NICU, Labor and Delivery, outpatient radiology, and the pediatric emergency department in addition to assisting with adult referrals. In 2017, Chrissy was the recipient of the Hospital Hero Award. She actively assists families with various coping strategies in their time of need. She is dedicated to working with siblings and families during the time of a family loss to help them cope. Chrissy lives on Long Island, NY. She enjoys running and spending time with her family and friends.