In the early days of the pandemic, my daughter, who had suffered from a respiratory infection the previous winter, began to wheeze again. She started waking up at night needing nebulizer treatments. I was filled with panic; my first thought was COVID-19. Her pediatrician quickly prescribed a COVID test.
Back then, the only way to get tested was through a nasal swab done by someone in a full hazmat suit who leaned into the car window. My daughter endured the discomfort and got swabbed. (Thankfully, she tested negative!) Almost a year later, she still vividly recounts the “swab that touched her brain.”
While her experience turned into a mere anecdote, for many children, such encounters can foster a lasting fear and distrust of medical settings. This is precisely the issue that Child Life Specialists aim to address, and the Emotional Safety Initiative is one of their key strategies.
We spoke with Alex Reed, President of the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), about the Emotional Safety Initiative and a recently released paper emphasizing the need to prioritize children’s emotional safety alongside their physical well-being in medical environments.
What Is the Emotional Safety Initiative?
The Emotional Safety Initiative is a movement designed to elevate emotional safety to the same level as physical safety in all pediatric medical experiences. Emotional safety is defined as an intentional, collaborative approach aimed at fostering resilience, healing, and trust among pediatric patients and their families during medical encounters, according to a press release from the ACLP. In practice, this means creating a stress-free and emotionally supportive experience for patients and their families, as noted by Reed.
The Framework of the Emotional Safety Initiative
The initiative is built on four core components:
- Screening and Assessment: This component aims to understand patients and their families to create a supportive system. It involves assessing families’ experiences, strengths, and challenges, which can be done before a planned admission or in the emergency room during a crisis.
- Intervention: This focuses on the child’s comfort and understanding their past medical experiences. Reed explains that it’s vital to recognize what was difficult for the child to avoid replicating those negative experiences.
- Environment: For children, everything in a medical setting can feel intimidating—from the way adults are dressed to the size of the medical equipment. This part of the initiative encourages healthcare providers to foster a child-friendly atmosphere. For instance, Reed mentions how her hospital is building a new patient tower with careful consideration of room layouts to best support children.
- Education, Training, and Communication: Everyone in the healthcare setting, from security personnel to medical staff, plays a role in ensuring emotional safety. This component focuses on educating all team members about emotional safety standards.
The Importance of Emotional Safety in Healthcare
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, approximately 80% of pediatric patients and their families experience some form of traumatic stress after medical treatment for serious illnesses or injuries. The short-term effects can include developmental regressions and sleep disturbances, while long-term effects may lead to a profound mistrust of healthcare as adults.
Reed shared a heartbreaking story of a relative who faced healthcare challenges at a young age. Not only was emotional safety overlooked, but parents could only visit during limited hours. After enduring multiple surgeries and a long hospitalization, this individual developed a lasting fear of medical settings, ultimately resulting in a tragic outcome from a treatable condition.
While this is an extreme case, it underscores the critical need for Child Life Specialists to advocate for emotional safety.
How Parents Can Support Emotional Safety
Parents can significantly contribute to their child’s emotional safety by understanding the potential impacts of medical procedures. Even seemingly minor interventions, like a nasal swab from a person in protective gear, can leave lasting impressions that ice cream outings can’t always remedy. It’s essential for parents to feel empowered to ask questions and explore their options. Reed stresses that parents are the best experts on their own children.
For further guidance, parents can visit the Emotional Safety Initiative website for tips on what questions to pose to healthcare providers and how to access emotionally safe care. Ultimately, the Emotional Safety Initiative strives to help healthcare providers and parents recognize that ensuring emotional safety positively influences both the physical and mental health of patients and families. Emotional safety is pivotal in fostering a healthy, lifelong relationship with healthcare.
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Summary:
The Emotional Safety Initiative is a movement focused on ensuring that emotional safety is regarded as crucial as physical safety in pediatric medical settings. The initiative is structured around four main components: assessment, intervention, environment, and education. By prioritizing emotional safety, healthcare providers can help reduce the fear and trauma children may associate with medical experiences, ultimately fostering a healthier relationship with healthcare throughout their lives.