Preparing Your Child for the Hospital
Preparing your child for a scheduled surgery will help relieve anxiety and fear. The Child Life Department at Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital offers the following tips for parents before surgery, the day of surgery and after surgery.
Before Surgery
Tips for preparing your child:
- Be honest. Talk to your child about the upcoming surgery. For younger children, only a couple days in advance is necessary, but for older children and teens, you can talk to them a week or two ahead of time. Encourage your child to ask you questions about the upcoming surgery.
- Play. Add some medical toys and books to your child’s selection and observe how they play. This will help to give you an idea of your child’s anxieties and perceptions about the hospital. It will also give you a chance to clear up any misconceptions before the day of surgery.
- Schedule a pre-operation tour of the hospital to become familiar with the environment. The staff will work with you to present this information in a fun, non-threatening way for your child. Tours can be scheduled by calling (540) 853-0263. If you can’t attend a facility tour, check out our virtual tour.
Day of Surgery
Items to bring:
- Medical information (health insurance card, medication information, list of questions you have for the medical staff)
- Comfort items (teddy bear, blanket, pacifier)
- Activities (books, music player, favorite movies, toys, laptop)
Things to remember:
- There is limited space in the surgery preparation areas. If at all possible, it is best to plan for brothers and sisters to stay with family/friends.
- Dress in layers to be prepared for warm and cold rooms.
- Take care of yourself. Right after your child goes to the operating room is a good time to get something to eat or get some fresh air. The Mountain View cafeteria is located on the 3rd floor and Java The Hut café is located off the South Pavilion lobby.
People you will meet:
- Receptionist - will help get you registered for surgery and will direct you to important areas of the hospital.
- Nurses - will find you in the waiting room when it is your turn. A nurse will measure your child’s height, weight and vitals (blood pressure, temperature and oxygen level) and will also ask about your child’s medical history. You will meet preparation nurses, surgical nurses and discharge nurses who will help you throughout the process.
- Anesthesiologist - will talk to you shortly before surgery and answer any questions you have about helping your child fall asleep and stay asleep during the operation.
- Surgeon - will also talk to you shortly before surgery and go over the details of your child’s procedure. The surgeon will also check in with you afterwards. Ask the surgeon about specific medical details of the operation and about care at home.
- Child Life Specialist - will use pictures, medical play and distraction to prepare your child based on developmental level. This person will also work with your family to help ease your child’s anxieties before surgery.
After Surgery
Things to keep in mind:
- Your child may be crying immediately after surgery and recovery. This is normal and usually results from feeling different, not from pain. Please let the nurse know if you think your child is uncomfortable.
- Encourage your child to express emotions. Your child can do this by playing with medical toys, drawing pictures and journaling. This will allow your child to play out different scenarios to make sense of the experience.
- While it may take a few days for your child’s routine to get back to normal, don’t hesitate to call your family doctor if you are concerned about changes in your child’s behavior. You can also call the child life specialist for tips about processing the surgical experience with your child through play and expression.
