Adaclog, Jemimah A.

BSN 2B-C
Distraction in Action: Helping Children during Medical Procedure in Community and
Public Health Settings
Journal of Community & Public Health Nursing Volume 4 Issue 217
Kirsten Hanrahan, Charmaine Kleiber, and Ann Marie McCarthy
March 26, 2018
SUMMARY OF THE JOURNAL
Young children experienced painful medical procedures in both hospitals and community and
public health settings. Due to this painful medication to young children they may have long-term
consequences of untreated pains that include increased pain sensitivity, avoiding healthcare, and
changes in neurodevelopment.
Distraction is a simple strategy that’s good for diverting the attention of the young children away
from a painful stimulus and focusing it on the play. This method or intervention can be used with
or without pharmacological intervention. The Distraction in Action is a web-based computer
application that collects the resources of the children, parents, and clinicians to identify the
child’s level of distress. This is available on the internet and you can access it at no cost. Once
the parent and clinician have discussed who would be the best person to take the role of
distraction coach the tool or app will designed a short video and instruction on how to teach
parents and clinicians how to successfully distract the child and how to help the children get
through with the procedure.
Distraction in Action Tool is one easy application to access and can help not only children 4-10
years but can also be used to children in a wider age and intellectually ability range. This tool
decreases the children's distress and parents are easy learners to provide a distraction for their
children every time a child may be immunized or needed an IV insertion. Parents have an
important role in these kinds of situations.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Children admitted to the hospital usually is scared and traumatized not only by the injury they
have but the experience. The research they made for young children is very effective since it can
identify distress to children of a wide age.
Distraction in action tools is a very clever idea because first of all, it’s free, all people can have
access to the web based computer application. It has no adverse effect on the parent and child.
Also according to the research, it had a big impact on decreasing the children's distress. The
application should be spread to the whole world, it will help a lot of people especially the family
and health care workers. The journal or research has very good feedback to those who already
tried the application. It’s also not that long, it’s easy to understand and reliable.
IMPLICATION TO NURSING EDUCATION
Since the research or journal is all about how to distract a child during medical practice. This
makes us realize that we need to have patience in providing care to children who are at risk of
trauma. We need to analyze their mood and characteristics this is why the Distraction in Action
application helps us in determining who’s the most appropriate person to be the distraction
coach. It also gives us an option on how to help children cope up with their fears. The application
is an advantage to us, nurses because it allows having a deeper knowledge about how children's
minds work.
IMPLICATION TO NURSING PROFESSION
This information gives nurses benefits and advantages to share this health information that they
have discovered and help them live better lives in the community, public health nursing, and in
the hospital. Because of the Distraction in Action application, it helps us nurses and health care
workers to assess and make it easier to find the distress of the children. Since we are also
responsible for giving our patient's health teaching, the application also provides us some tips
and suggestions about the situation.
IMPLICATION TO NURSING RESEARCH
The application that was developed contributed to the health. It focuses on the mind of the
children and how parents think of solution to the underlying situation. It helps on how to care for
a traumatized or at risk of trauma children. Which enhances the ability of the nurses and parents
to respond effectively to the actual and potential health problems. Its connection is already in
advancement of technology and how to increase the effect of nursing intervention to children.