| Description |
This study aimed to understand medical professionals' perceptions of the use of treatment rooms for intravenous (IV) and venipuncture procedures with children. A treatment room is a room separate from the child's inpatient hospital room where medical procedures occur. The Department of Health and Human Services (1992) recommends the use of treatment rooms as a strategy to reduce and manage children's pain from medical procedures. Although the use of treatment rooms is considered the standard of care for many hospitals in the U.S., Primary Children's Hospital does not regularly use treatment rooms in their child inpatient medical units. The current study surveyed medical professionals at Primary Children's Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah about their perceptions of the use of treatment rooms for IV insertions and blood draws. Medical professionals completed an electronic survey, which consisted of 31 questions, including 28 close-ended questions and 3 open-ended questions. Items addressed administrative challenges, benefits, negative impact on child, and the respondent's general knowledge of and experience with treatment rooms. Nurses and IV team members perceived greater administrative challenges and negative impacts on children and fewer benefits to children of the use of treatment rooms than did Child Life Specialists. Specific concerns and challenges with the use of treatment rooms were identified. Features of an ideal treatment room were also noted. The results of this study will provide many pediatric hospitals, including Primary Children's Hospital, with valuable knowledge on how their staff perceive the use of treatment rooms. |
