Although parents try to protect their children and predict serious health problems, they still need professional care providers’ help. This participation in a 3-week training program under the supervision of two training officers allows me to understand the importance of high-quality, holistic patient care. One day, a mother brought her 5-year-old son to the hospital, complaining of the consequences of his backyard games. The boy had a swollen lip, a chipped tooth, and slight bleeding. He tried to climb a tree but did not manage a broken stick and fell from about two meters. The idea of having an urgent dental surgery provoked concerns and fears. The boy did not want to cooperate, and it was necessary to avoid further diagnostic challenges. Thus, I contacted the kid when the doctor interviewed the mother about the history of this condition, the patient’s health peculiarities, and allergies.
I approached the boy and introduced myself with a smile. He needed support and asked for some explanations. I did everything possible to describe the situation in detail and calm him down by using simple terms, kind words, and eye contact. Then, the doctor named several diagnostic steps for a treatment process. The trauma was insignificant but required two surgical procedures to restore a tooth and close the cut on the lip. The medical staff exchanged information about the patient and proved no contraindications to general anesthesia to control the patient’s movement and get access to the wound. After surgery, the patient experienced mild post-operative pain and discomfort. I said that everything would pass in several hours, and the chosen tone helped me succeed in communicating with an uncooperative child.
This day brought several important lessons to my healthcare practitioner’s practice. I found out that patient care is never simple, and patients need more than just professional assistance and treatment. I learned that people expect comfort, support, respect, cooperation, and a chance to comprehend their conditions relying on their beliefs and knowledge. This experience in pediatric dentistry changed my perspective about patient cooperation because not everyone was eager to cooperate and be treated. I recognized the importance of additional help and specific approaches to work with parents and help them make decisions, minimizing the child’s attention to treatment details. However, I believe that child cooperation with the dental staff and other care providers cannot be neglected. My tasks varied because I worked with information about the present illness, medical history, and even personal attitudes toward doctors and hospitals. With time, I reviewed that communication could bring positive results in increased patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, and improved medical outcomes.
I noticed many questions about how to initiate communication, what parents think about this cooperation, and what the child knows were raised. I faced barriers like family or patient behaviors, clinical environments, and clinician background. Sometimes, it was easy for me to avoid these challenges with several explanations or kind words. I identified three main rules of effective caregiver communication: quickly introduce yourself, use simple words, and answer all questions in a kind and professional way. I also discovered that some children like to establish eye contact and exchange information in their specific way. Thus, I have to strengthen my critical thinking and observational skills as a healthcare practitioner.
This training program included various activities like the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) assessment, dental surgeries, long cases’ management, and the examination of several cardiological and orthopedic patients. The background of each situation was unique because of differences in parental involvement (in pediatric cases), patient knowledge, conditions’ severity, and even behavioral patterns. Thus, I used staff cooperation and data exchange to avoid medical errors and follow an efficient treatment plan. This experience also improved my professional development by discovering the power of eye contact on children. General anesthesiologic practice requires developing communication skills to enhance rapid rapport, patient trust, and cooperation (Crowe, 2020). My task was to explain the importance of immediate treatment and show the child that there was nothing to worry about, so he could use parental support and professional help offered by doctors.
I know that sometimes, it is impossible to predict injuries at a young age, and parents address emergency departments to treat their children. Dental services are never easy for pediatric patients because of their poor awareness of the treatment importance and the quality of help doctors deliver. My practice contributed to my intellectual growth as a unique chance to see how communication and trustful relationships must be established from the very first minute of the visit. I treat children as special patients for healthcare providers to improve cooperation and help in decision-making and responsibility-taking. I understand that the hospital where my training program was organized does not specialize in pediatric services only. I feel that the medical staff knows how to differentiate between adult and young patients, offer the necessary services, and educate others on how to succeed in care processes.
Reference
Crowe, A. M. L. (2020). Communication skills with children in paediatric anaesthesia: Challenges while wearing a face mask. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 4(1). Web.