School age test or procedure preparation

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

School age test or procedure preparation

Definition:

Proper preparation for a test or procedure may reduce your child's anxiety, encourage cooperation, and help the child develop coping skills.

Alternative Names:
Preparing school age children for test/procedure; Test/procedure preparation - school age
Information:

text continues below

Understand that your child probably will cry, and that preparation may not change the fact that your child will feel some discomfort or pain. Use play to demonstrate what will happen during the test. You may also discover your child's concerns about the test.

The most important way you can help is by preparing your child ahead of time, and supporting the child during the procedure. Explaining the procedure will be of value in reducing your child's anxiety. Let your child participate and make as many decisions as possible.

PRE-PROCEDURE PREPARATION:

Limit explanations to 20 minutes each, in several sessions, if necessary. School age children have a good concept of time, allowing for preparation in advance of the procedure. The older your child, the earlier in advance you can begin preparation.

Here are some general guidelines for preparing your child for a test or procedure:

Explain the procedure in language your child understands, and use concrete terms, avoiding abstract terminology.
Make sure your child understands the exact body part involved, and that the procedure will be limited to that area.
To the best of your ability, describe how the test will feel.
If the procedure affects part of the body that serves a noticeable function(such as speech, hearing, or urination), explain what changes will occur afterwards. Discuss how long these effects will last.
Give your child permission to yell, cry, or otherwise express any pain verbally.
Allow your child to practice the positions or movements that will be required for the particular procedure, such as the fetal position for a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
Stress the benefits of the procedure and talk about things that the child may find pleasurable afterwards, such as feeling better, or going home. After the test you may want to take your child for ice cream or some other treat, but do not make this conditional on "being good" for the test.
Suggest ways for staying calm: o Counting o Deep breathing o Relaxation (thinking pleasant thoughts)
Allow your child to participate in simple tasks.
Include your child in the decision-making process, such as the time of day or the body site where the procedure is performed (this depends on the type of procedure being performed).
Encourage participation during the procedure, such as holding an instrument, if allowed.
Let your child to hold your hand or the hand of someone else helping with the procedure. Physical contact like this can help reduce pain and anxiety.