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Bonjour département de pediactrics! (Hello department of pediatrics!) I hope you all are having a great start to your week. I can’t believe It’s already almost August! Which means school starts soon unfortunately. I’d like to say how proud I am of you guys! I see all of you in-game working very hard, and learning! Which I love. Today's guide was picked by Madi. It’s all about how to consult with children! At the end I will make a little note how you can make them feel more comfortable, and how to relate to them. I hope this helps your understanding.
Steps and strategies for child-centered communication
This turns the principles of child-centered communication into four consecutive steps, which can help build trusting relationships that get children involved. The text then discusses each of these in greater detail. You can follow the steps in different orders depending on the situation you are in.
Step 1: Greet the child!
The following are the ways to achieve this.
-Make and maintain good eye contact.
-Use welcoming hand gestures, such as a wave (especially when wearing face masks).
-Tailor speech intonations to individual children and circumstances. (An upbeat, friendly, tone of voice is usually appropriate, although highly distressing or emotive situations may require a softer approach.)
-Be patient.
-Acknowledge, for example, that you have kept them waiting a long time.
How you introduce yourself is also important. Your name and specialty is a personal preference, but it’s recommended so that they get comfortable with you! But children tend to remember your first name or surname. You could also give them your nickname if it’s easier for the child. An example on how you might approach a child is:
“Hello ___! -I’d look at __ and smile nicely- My name is Gianna (you’d use your name.) But you can call me Gia if you’d like. I’ll be your pediatrician for today, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m very sorry to keep you waiting, and you might know this already but because I’m your doctor it’s my job to keep you healthy and safe! I’ll take you upstairs to the pediatric area where there’s toys and other things to keep you occupied! -I’d lead her to the elevator-“
You could also add your own twist and compliment, but in the same manner that I formatted it in.
Step 2: Engage the child!
Hospitals or health centers can be scary and unpredictable places, especially for children who are not used to them. But we can make places better, simply by being friendly. Chatting casually about non-medical things and playing helps to make children happier and more relaxed and breaks down conversational barriers before you start asking about symptoms and concerns. It also builds friendships and trust, which is really important for children. We acknowledge that the idea of friendship between clinicians and children may challenge clinicians’ assumptions on the nature of relationships. It is quite different from traditional doctor–patient relationship models,but research shows this is reality for many children. They speak favorably about professionals who they come to know as friends, especially during long-term care. Friendship helps children open up about concerns and engenders trust needed for asking more intimate questions or performing unpleasant examinations.
Some of us might be a dab hand at small talk, while others may need a few cues. A child’s clothing or belongings, for example, may give you clues about their enthusiasm and interests and provide conversation starters. You can also establish common ground by saying a bit about yourself—your childhood, interests, family or other experiences. While getting to know children, we should, of course, respect professional boundaries, being careful not to divulge anything confidential or inappropriate. And I expect you all to know not to do that, as we’re representing Swiss. Some examples of conversation starters and common ground builders are outlined here!
“Hey __! I absolutely love your outfit today! Are you a big fan of lots of colour? I know I am! (You could also talk about movies or stuffys which I’ll do here.) Also, what’s your favorite movie? Oo I love tangled too! It’s one of my favorite Disney movies.”
Again, you could really talk about anything. As long as it’s not inappropriate or personal.
You could also give the children coloring sheets, or play-dough! (We don’t have these things in game, but you could always pretend.) It’s important we have children feeling comfortable and safe at Swiss!
Step 3: involving the child in the conversation about their care.
Even when we have engaged children in small talk, we are then inclined to turn to the parents to discuss the real business of problematising, diagnosing and managing the illness. This can make children feel left out and unimportant. Of course, we must listen to and respect parents, but parents might have a different take on the issue—possibly one that their child neither shares nor wants to contradict. Steps 1 and 2 can kick-start conversations with children, who may then clam up for fear of speaking freely, misunderstanding medical talk and looking silly. We therefore need to help children be involved and participate, as far as they are happy to. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much relevant information children can provide when given opportunities, and parents are usually willing to wait for their child’s response, corroborating the information and filling in important gaps in the history.
Suggestions for involving children in the conversation.
-Talk to children first and ask their permission: “May I ask you a few questions about why you are here today?”
-Try not to arouse anxiety: “Don’t worry if you’re not sure. It’s not a test, so there are no wrong answers. “Mum can fill me in if you’re not sure.”
-Start with open-ended (easy) questions: “What has brought you here today?”, “How have you been feeling?” or “Tell me how I can help?”
-Speak in a child-friendly way: use non-technical information or explain medical words, speak slowly, pause for a response, fully explain illnesses or treatments (using pictures, drawings or metaphors, where required), and listen. Visual aids or prompts providing step-by-step descriptions are especially useful for younger children.
-Some children (older or more experienced) might use technical language when speaking with you. In this case, you might like to check their understanding of terminology, allowing you to pitch communication at their level.
I hope you guys enjoyed this guide and felt you understood more about this topic. Please give a nice thank you to Madi for the wonderful topic of choice! If you have any questions, please reach out to me @gianna.dior on dizzy. Passez une merveilleuse fin de journée! (Have a wonderful rest of your day💗)
Warm regards,
Gianna Dior
Director of the pediatrics department
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