Parents’ Positioning and Distracting Children During Venipuncture

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of parental positioning and distraction on the pain, fear, and distress of pediatric patients undergoing venipuncture. An experimental-comparison group design was used to evaluate 43 patients (20 experimental and 23 comparison) who were 4 to 11 years old. Experimental participants used parental positioning and distraction. All participants rated their pain and fear; parents and child life specialists (CLS) rated the child's fear, and CLS rated the child's distress. Self-reported pain and fear were highly correlated (p < .001) but not significantly different between the two groups. Fear rated by CLS (p < .001) and parents (p = .003) was significantly lower in experimental participants. Although no differences was found in distress between the two groups, a significant time trend was discovered (p < .001). The parental positioning-distraction intervention has the potential to enhance positive clinical outcomes with a primary benefit of decreased fear. Further research is warranted.