About Comfort Kids- Procedural Management( pain, distress, anxiety)
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Educational Play Therapy Dept. |
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Comfort Kids Program Manager Comfort Kids Educator |
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Comfort First CCC Clinicians |
The Comfort Kids Program at Royal Children's Hospital is foremost dedicated to enabling health care professional to obtain necessary knowledge and awareness to adapt strategies into their clinical practice that will minimise procedural distress, anxiety and pain.
This is an evidenced based program; the Comfort Kids Educator provides clinical leadership and mentoring of nursing, medical and allied health care staff at the clinical level. Education principles are: diversion and distraction therapies, sucrose, preparation and pharmacological support for procedures.
The Educational Play Therapist sponsored for procedural referrals are assigned to clinical areas, such as medical imaging, outpatients, ambulatory care unit.
The department also accepts and will prioritise referrals for children struggling with procedures and or requiring surgical preparation.
Program Manager is accountable for the overall management, education, research key program initiatives for this division of the pain service.
Referrals accepted for needle phobic or high end procedural
anxieties to program manager on case by case basis.
Program funding is proudly sponsored by the Staff of Safeway
Please download the following application form from the link below. All RCH staff will need to have approval from the manager to attend the workshops. Non RCH staff please contact the Comfort Kids Program Manager if you are interested in attending the workshop: lisa.takacs@rch.org.au
The Procedural Sedation Leader Workshop is designed as a train/trainer model, staff who attend this workshop must be accredited to deliver nitrous oxide before attending the workshop. The trainer is the designated staff member who is accountable to accredited staff in their clinical area. If you have any questions regarding attending this workshop please contact the program. olivia.hamilton@rch.org.au
Parent fact sheet
In 2004 a multidisciplinary Steering Committee was initiated to address procedural concerns expressed by health care professionals throughout the hospital.The steering committee has been pivotal in developing the framework, resources and educational activities for the program. Over thirty multidisciplinary staff members have contributed to the development of this program.
August 2005 The Comfort Kids Program officially launch to address the procedural pain management needs of a specialist paediatric hospital. The Comfort Kids program aims to provide guidance, education, resources and expertise in the management of children's discomfort, anxiety and distress before, during and after procedures. The Comfort Kid's Program is part of the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management Service.
The program works in collaboration with the Children's Pain Management Service, Department of Educational and Play Therapy, Department of Anaesthesia, Department of Paediatrics and clinical areas.
When a child is in pain all caregivers-including teachers, ambulance attendants, fire fighters, day care workers, police officers, nurses, doctors,child care counsellors,physiotherapists, and blood technicians, among others- are in "loco parentis," and responsible for providing help and support to the child in pain. Leura Kuttner