P0726 / #1937: USING VISUAL ART FOR PATIENT, FAMILY AND STAFF EDUCATION IN THE PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: A child's stay in the PICU is accompanied by major changes in their routine, which can have negative short-term and long-term consequences for their health-related quality of life. The use of visual learning tools in pediatric critical care can help in education and promotion of strategies to limit these effects by closing gaps in understanding and encouraging engagement of children, their families, and healthcare workers. METHODS: In 2019, we began an initiative in our tertiary care children's hospital to utilize art to optimize PICU Liberation education for critically ill children, their families, and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Staff. An interprofessional champion team determined the highest priorities for education and obtained feedback from their own discipline's stakeholders: 1) Education about sleep hygiene (Figure 1) and 2) Promoting early mobility (Figure 2). With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an additional urgent need identified for education about personal protective equipment to optimize safe mobility (Figure 3). The visual artist generated several drafts for review and feedback by the team and the final art was disseminated broadly throughout the PICU hallways, patient rooms, and entrances. RESULTS: The visual art was highly received by staff, patients, and families. CONCLUSIONS: As a learning tool, visual art can be used to increase awareness and address timely PICU topics. It should be explored further as an educational tool to help establish shared understanding between PICU staff, patients, and their families in a way that can transcend communication barriers while remaining engaging for all ages.