The 4-year-old child is undergoing cardiac surgery. Which nursing action will reduce the child's stress in the preoperative period? Select all that apply

Question

1. Explain the procedure to the child in simple terms of what the child will see, hear, and feel while awake.
2. Explain to the child that the surgery will fix her "broken" heart.
3. Allow the parents to accompany the child to the surgical holding room and wait with the child.
4. Allow the child to hold onto their special "teddy bear" while awake.
5. Wait until the child is in the holding room to insert the Foley catheter.

Answer 1

1, 3, 4
Explanation:
1. The child does not need to understand the surgical activity while asleep.
2. Care must be utilized in selecting terminology for the child. To the child, the heart is not just a muscle, but the center of the child's love. A "broken" heart may be discarded.
3. This is appropriate as parents are the child's main source of support.
4. Children of this age often have security objects; the child should be allowed to hold the object for comfort. Care must be taken that the teddy bear be labeled and returned to the child after the surgical procedure.
5. The child is awake in the holding room. It is better to wait until the child is under anesthesia to insert the catheter.