2022 Trauma University: Management of Multiple Trauma Patients-Part 3

Video Transcription
Video Summary
In this video, Barbara Romito, the Director of the Child Life Department at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital, explains the role of a child life specialist in supporting the emotional and psychosocial needs of children and families during illness, injury, and hospitalization. Child life specialists provide recreational and therapeutic activities, teach children about their illness or injury, prepare them for medical procedures in age-appropriate ways, and use non-pharmacological pain management techniques. Romito also discusses how the focus of child life specialists varies depending on the unit they work in, such as oncology or the emergency department. In the emergency department, child life specialists quickly assess and establish rapport with children and their families, providing interventions to help reduce fear and anxiety during procedures. In trauma centers, child life specialists are part of the trauma team, providing support for the child and their family during the trauma response. Romito emphasizes the importance of emotional safety in pediatric care, as emotional harm can be just as damaging as physical harm. She highlights the need for healthcare organizations to prioritize emotional safety and suggests that community hospitals without child life specialists on staff can arrange consultative services with child life specialists to provide education and support. In a subsequent segment, Karen Gutick, an emergency room social worker, discusses the role of social workers in the emergency department, including gathering information about accidents and family dynamics, providing crisis intervention and support, connecting families with community resources, mediating between medical staff and families, and facilitating reunification of families. Gutick emphasizes the importance of open discussions with family members about proper child car seat usage, and recommends that facilities have protocols in place for discharging infants and children involved in motor vehicle accidents, including instructions to get a new car seat, if necessary. Additionally, Dr. Brick Christmas, a trauma medical director, discusses considerations for transferring patients from lower level trauma centers to higher level trauma centers. He emphasizes the need for facilities to assess their capabilities and resources and determine when a transfer is necessary. He also discusses factors such as blood product availability, imaging capabilities, and sedation during transport. Dr. Christmas highlights the importance of communication and feedback between referring facilities and trauma centers to improve patient care and outcomes. He also emphasizes the need for regional outreach and education to ensure that all providers are following established guidelines and best practices in trauma care. Overall, the video provides insights into the roles of child life specialists, social workers, and trauma medical directors in supporting the emotional and physical well-being of children in healthcare settings.
Keywords
Child life specialist
Emotional support
Psychosocial needs
Recreational activities
Non-pharmacological pain management
Emergency department
Trauma response
Emotional safety
Social worker
Trauma University