A Child and a Parent at the Door

In practice

A four-year-old is scheduled to have tonsils removed. In the preoperative area, the child is frightened and clings to a parent, who has signed the consent as the child's legal guardian. The nurse confirms the child's name and date of birth with the parent and checks the identification band. The parent speaks Spanish as a first language, so the team uses a professional interpreter for the final questions. In the operating room, the room has been warmed beforehand, and a warming device is ready on the table, because small children lose heat quickly. The scrub person, Marisol, has checked the preference card and set out pediatric-sized instruments, suction and supplies, and confirms that the medications on the field are labelled with their strengths, since children's medications are dosed by weight. The anesthesia provider has a child-sized airway setup ready. The child goes to sleep with the parent nearby, as the facility allows, and the parent is then taken to the waiting area and kept informed. At the time out, the team confirms the patient's identity, the procedure and allergies. After the operation, the recovery nurse receives a report that includes the child's temperature and how the child went to sleep.