For nurse practitioners, learning to communicate effectively with pediatric patients determines the success of care. Strong communication makes children more cooperative with treatments and less anxious about procedures.
As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I am often asked by parents for advice about how to talk to their children about stressful life events such as divorce, military deployment of a parent, or change of schools. And now, of course, parents are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — a serious life stress that impacts every aspect of family functioning and daily activities.
According to the CDC, compared with adults, children, who account for 8.8% of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S., have milder symptoms and a lower mortality rate. However, the death of a loved one, extended separation from parents due to quarantine or hospitalization, as well as school closures and social isolation can all lead to long-lasting psychological effects in children.
Studies have indicated that these factors — prolonged separation from parents, isolation, and quarantine — can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression in children, even after the period of isolation and quarantine end. But research has also indicated that the impact of terminal illness and national emergencies can be mitigated when children are given accurate, honest information.
So what can nurse practitioners do to support parents as they try to communicate with their children about the COVID-19 virus?
Nurse practitioners can encourage parents to talk to their children about the difficulties arising because of the pandemic. Parents may think they are protecting their children by not talking about the disease, but research shows that even children as young as 2 years are aware of the changes around them.
It is important for adults to communicate in simple terms, taking into account a child’s age and level of understanding.
Very young children, for instance, do not have an understanding of cause and effect and believe that their thoughts or wishes can cause external events. As a result, they may blame themselves or perceive that the illness is punishment for bad behavior. So, first listening to what children believe about COVID-19 and then providing them with an accurate explanation can help calm their fears or feelings of guilt.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developing and distributing developmentally appropriate guidelines and materials to help parents communicate clearly and honestly about COVID-19. Currently, CDC, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization all have online resources available to parents. In addition, an interactive multilingual book called #COVIBOOK has been developed to explain COVID-19 to children.
Nurse practitioners can ensure that parents have these resources available and provide time during office or telemedicine visits to answer questions or concerns about the disease.
Some researchers have also suggested that the principles of palliative care communication can be applied to assist parents in communicating with children about COVID-19. These principles have been effective in providing comfort to parents and children dealing with terminal illness. Still, it’s important to note that more research is needed to confirm whether these palliative care principles can be applied to the pandemic.
In any case, communicating with children about COVID-19 needs to be a priority, and we need to invest more resources to support this endeavor.
Maryann Valcourt, PhD, is assistant professor of nursing at the Malek School of Health Professions of Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. This story was originally published by Minority Nurse, a trusted source for nursing news and information and a portal for the latest jobs, scholarships, and books from Springer Publishing Company.
Last Updated October 16, 2020
Source: MedicalNewsToday.com
