Pediatric Preoperative Tours: Successful Hospital Program Expands to Community

Abstract

hildren often react emotionally to the prospect of hospitalization and surgery. C These reactions may include guilt and fear of abandonment, pain, and mutilation.’ Literature suggests that all children need some kind of psychological preparation for the hospital experience, particularly when it involves surgery. The need for preparation is based on the belief that hospitalization and surgery cause stress and anxiety that can lead to transient or long-term psychological disturbances in most children.* Research also shows that family members need preparation in order to provide support and security for the child undergoing ~urgery.~ Shands Hospital at The University of Florida, Gainesville, is a 500-bed referral center with many pediatric surgery patients. Our OR department developed a program to provide a preadmission orientation to reduce the stress and anxiety of children and their fami-