(POKE) Procedure Plan and Comfort Measures

OVERVIEW

• Poke and procedure plan to incorporate strategies and interventions and comfort techniques to help patients communicate their experience and choice for procedure comfort.
• All patients, no matter what age need comfort during healthcare experiences to reduce anxiety and pain.

BACKGROUND

Intravenous insertions, venipuncture and immunizations are common sources of pain in hospitalized children and in children receiving care in clinics. Pain from these procedures result in short-term suffering and also influence future responses to pain and treatments. A child's comfort is important to parents as they often are present to watch the procedure and find it difficult to console their child. All patients, no matter what age need comfort during healthcare experiences to reduce anxiety and pain. Literature indicates that both drug and non-drug therapies are beneficial to all individuals during procedures. There is currently no universal protocol or standardized bed-side manner to deal with patients that have heightened anxiety around needles.