ORLANDO, Fla. – This month, the trauma program at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children celebrates 10 years and its doctors are praising a new effort to move parents from the waiting room to the trauma bay.
"As a parent you can imagine, the worst thing to do is be somewhere where you don't know what's going on," said Dr. Donald Plumley, the Medical Director of Pediatric Trauma at Arnold Palmer Hospital.
New research conducted at three pediatric Level I Trauma Centers shows allowing parents to be involved in the care of their children during an emergency is beneficial to their health. The findings show that parents help medical teams with their own expertise and emotional support.
"Part of what we're trying to do is get children's heart rate down, get their adrenaline down, and help them feel more relaxed, and the research supports that a relaxed state helps in healing," said Jeanine Clapsaddle, Child Life Specialist, Arnold Palmer Hospital.
Arnold Palmer Hospital has implemented the policy in their Level 1 Trauma Center and has seen positive results.
"What we found is over the years that the parents oftentimes have a calming effect on the kids and it also helps the family to be reunited with their child as they're undergoing procedure, so we allow them in the room. I's fairly new for us too. We didn't always do this," said Dr. Donald Plumley, Medical Director of Pediatric Trauma at Arnold Palmer Hospital.
Dr. Plumley said the new policy brings parents, who have been prepared and evaluated by child life specialists, chaplains, and nurses into the trauma bay. From inside, they can relay information to the doctors about their child's medical hisotry, blood type, and stress triggers.
"We have to remember parents are experts in their children and so when it comes to people like me, child life specialists, and what not, we want to make sure that parents have an opportunity to contribute to the care of their child. So how does your child respond to stress? Is this normal? Is this what you would expect? What are the things that comfort your child," said Clapsaddle.
The trauma bay may seem chaotic from an outsider's perspective, but Dr. Plumley said everyone caring for the patient has a designated place, including the parents.
"The red line is kind of the dividing line, if you're not caring for the patient, then you stand back here it's kind of like being on the bench in football, we'll call you in," said Dr. Plumley.
The research showed 94 percent of families with their child during trauma care said they provided emotional support to their child, 92 percent said they gave health care information about their child to the medical team, and 81 percent said they were able to ask questions about their child's care to members of the trauma team.
"Your ability to fix what's going on is pretty limited, as a parent, and so being able to contribute in some small way, even if it is by singing a song with your child from across the room, that is familiar and comforting to them, you still are contributing and are helpful," said Clapsaddle.
Dr. Plumley said in critical situations, bringing in the parents is even more encouraged.
"I had one recently where the child (had a) terrible accident, the child wasn't going to survive, and the dad was getting pretty agitated and so I went out to talk to him.He said, '"All I want to do is hold my son's hand' Let's go," said Plumley. "That was more important, to maybe the child, but definitely to the dad, to be able to say I got to go in there and hold his hand."