Preparing children for hospital: what does the evidence say?

Children like adults fear hospitals and health-care professionals must acknowledge the potential adverse effects that hospitalization can have on a child. The benefits of preparing children for hospitalization and medical procedures have been well documented in the healthcare literature. Various methods of preparation are advocated, all claiming to reduce children’s anxiety and stress as well as eradicating some of the reported adverse effects of hospitalization. Interventions include books, videos, play sessions and hospital pre-admission visits. Nurses must be cognisant of the various methods of preparing children for hospital in order to select the most appropriate method for each individual child. Although there appears to be a disagreement with regard to the best type of preoperative preparation, there is a consensus that some type of preparation should be offered to children. This paper reviews the current methods of preparation techniques and the role of the children’s nurse in relation to preparation.