The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

About Comfort Kids

The Comfort Kids Program model:

•  enable health care professional to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to integrate coping strategies into routine procedural practice thereby minimising  procedural distress, anxiety and pain. See -health care professional
• to inform and empower families/children thru education and modelling of developmentally appropriate coping strategies (calm breathing;muscle relaxation;mind pictures;busy brainwaves activity )
• provide governance ( guideline and policy) and leadership to ensure a sustainable hospital wide approach
• the provision of resources and clinical specialist ( Advance Practice Nurses, Educational Play Therapist)
• triage/accept referrals for children who are highly or extremely distressed, needle aversions and hospital/medical related stress or phobia- email  lisa.takacs@rch.org.au
• provide consultation and procedural sedation advice for the ambulatory and ward clinical areas
• identification of strategies to support long term sustainability of change and improvement across the Hospital.

RCH Procedural Pain Management Service part of the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management

• Supervised by: Dr. Ian McKenzie Director of Anaesthesia and Pain 03 9345 5232 Pager 5234
• Managed by: Lisa Takacs Manager and Clinical Nurse Consultant  03 9345 7933 Pager 4877  
• Referrals for urgent referrals page 4877 or  03 9345 5424 or email  lisa.takacs@rch.org.au

     

•  Program funding  is proudly sponsored by the Staff of Safeway

  

Australian Pain Symposium Melbourne April 1-4th 2012

 

 

Orientation to new Nitrous oxide units: nitrous oxide sedation in the New Hospital will be delivered by new equipment which differs from the current equipment. Staff will need to be re-accredited before using the new equipment. The leaders and super trainers will then be re credentialing other RCH staff. 

 Super User Training Dates: Training for Procedural Sedation Leaders and nominated " super users" staff will involve a one hour session, provided by RCH and Mediquip on the following dates:Tuesday 18th October 130-230pm, Wed 19th October 130-230pm and Wed 19th October 300-400pm.

To book a preferred session please email lisa.takacs@rch.org.au

End User Training Dates: For staff who cannot arrange re credentialing from a local Procedural Sedation Leader or Super user, further training sessions are available on the following dates: Thurs 24th of November 1030 -1130 and Friday 25th November 130-1130 AM. Please register here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/enduserregistration

Contact details for:

• Educational Play Therapy Department 03 9345 5424
  • Chief Educational Play Therapy Louise Marbina 03 9345 5423
  • Referring a distressed child or referring a child for surgical preparation 
• Comfort First Procedural Pain Program -Children Cancer Centre - 03 03 9345 5453
  • Manager:Maria McCarthy 03 9345 6866
  • Kari Peters        Pager 5606
  • Lydia Johnsey   Pager 4865
• Acute and Chronic Pain Service
  • Manager :Dr George Chalkiadis 03 9345 5233
  • Clinical Nurse Consultant: Sueann Penrose, Ally Brunt
• Palliative Care Service    
• RCH Psychology Service
  • Referring a distressed child- RCH Child and family Psychology Clinic
• Pre admision resource centre ( PARC)      
  • Free Pre surgical preparation book for children                                 

Frequently asked questions:

• Where do I find the Procedural Pain Management Guidelines
• Where do I find the Procedural Pain Management Policy
• Where do I find the Procedural sedation clinical guidelines - ward/outpatients
• What is Sucrose
• Where is the location of Sucrose education fact sheet
• How to purchase pre packaged Sucrose
• National Newborn Pain Practice guideline (PDF)
• How do I administer AnGel and Emla( topical anaesthetic agents)
• Nitrous oxide
  • About nitrous oxide
  • Location of nitrous oxide units Ordering nitrous oxide or oxygen cylinders
  • Nitrous oxide disposable circuits
  • Nitrous oxide silicon circuits
  • Record of Sedation MR 56S
  • Ordering disposable masks
  • Booking a Comfort Kids Nurse for sedation event ( immediate event please page 7933) Future dated events please fill in referral form
  • How do I become accredited to administer IV midazolam
• Where do I find information for Parents: Kids Health Information
• Fact Sheets
  • Chloral hydrate
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Midazolam
  • Medical Imaging Procedure Guides

  

Register to attend a workshop.

Comfort Kids Workshop:

Full day activity based workshop aimed at providing participants with strategies ( music, positioning for comfort, distraction and relaxation and breathing) that can be integrated into their procedural practice and how to better support families and children for procedures thru the use of developmentally appropriate language and preparation. Queries please contact lisa.takacs@rch.org.au 

Workshop dates 2011 (  December 7th) Workshop Location: Level one Education Precinct – West Building ( green lifts) Room 1.005.

Workshop dates 2012  ( February 21, April 12, June 4, October 4, December 4) Venue to be announced.

RCH staff  and non RCH staff please submit the following application form: Comfort Kids Workshop Registration for RCH  /  Comfort Kids Workshop-External Registration

Pre reading material: the suggested three articles were selected to support the main themes of the workshop.  Pre reading one, Pre reading two, Pre reading three.

Procedural Sedation Leader Workshop 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 at RCH.

NEXT WORKSHOP: Due to upcoming move the new hospital additional PSL workshops will not be offered at this time. Procedural Sedation Leader Training will resume on the following dates: March 25th and July 5th 2012. Register online