Psychology Commons^™

Breaking Down The Barriers To Pediatric Procedural Preparation, Lindsey L. Cohen, Jill E. Maclaren

Psychology Faculty Publications

There are characteristics of children’s medical pain that makes it amenable to intervention. Specifically, almost all procedural events are planned and the steps of the procedure are scripted. Thus, the parent and patient have the ability to be well prepared to handle the stressor. In fact, the medical situation could even be viewed as a valuable opportunity for the family to learn and practice coping skills, which in turn can result in a heightened sense of mastery and empowerment for future expected and unexpected pain and suffering in life. The preparation literature is sufficiently strong to allow recommendations regarding how …