It takes a special type of person to provide pediatric care. Whether you are a pediatrician, pediatric specialist or nurse, you face a unique set of healthcare challenges. Your patients may be scared or struggle to explain their symptoms. Their parents may further complicate issues, even with the best intentions.
If you are doing your job well, you prevent healthcare-acquired infections and see your efforts reflected in patient satisfaction scores. If either of these metrics are lacking, pediatric medical supplies could be holding you back from providing the best possible care?.
We know you are inundated with supply requests. There are only so many items your value analysis team can evaluate in a year. Here are some common issues we’ve seen in pediatric care:
- Trouble finding a vein
- Struggle getting enough blood from heel pricks
- Medication and identification errors
Every patient deserves your best. Patient safety is always the top priority. In this post we’ll look at how Caresfield’s products can help make blood draws more efficient, make care less scary and help prevent identification errors.
Making Blood Draws as Efficient as Possible
One of the most challenging aspects of pediatric care is dealing with fear. Estimates show that as many as two in three children are afraid of needles1. Whether you work at a hospital, urgent care, clinic or other facility you rely on blood draws for everything from routine screening to genetic testing.
One way you may help young patients get over a fear of needles is to make the process as efficient as possible. It’s not always possible, but if you can perform venipuncture successfully on the first try it will help build trust and make future visits easier. To find the vein, consider using properly sized tourniquets.
Specialty Sized Tourniquets
Using a properly sized tourniquet may make it easier to find the vein for pediatric and infant patients. We recently shared Marcela’s story about 13 failed attempts to start an IV for her son. It was an unfortunate situation, exasperated by only having adult tourniquets available. To help you provide the best possible care, Caresfield offers both infant and pediatric tourniquets.
If you are currently using reusable tourniquets, you also have to consider the risk of healthcare-acquired infections. In another recent blog post, we looked at how single-use items, like disposable tourniquets, may be a safer solution for your patients.
When working with your supply chain team, you may encounter reluctance to change without a thorough evaluation. We’ve found that switching a single department to Caresfield tourniquets is an effective way to start. You can judge the quality for yourself, which will drive constructive conversations with your supply chain team.
Infant Heel Warmers
Not every blood draw requires venipuncture. When working with infants, sometimes a simple heel prick can provide the required sample. In these instances, we hope you are using infant heel warmers. These warming packs help increase circulation and may help prevent bruising. They are a great tool and are very easy to activate.
There are many reasons to use Caresfield’s heel warmers. We store our infant heel warmers in the U.S. and have an ample safety stock. We also offer same-day shipping of in-stock items.
Making Care Less Scary
Building trust is one way to make care less frightening for young patients. As you already know, another useful tool is distraction. Our cohesive bandages might be just the ticket to turn a frown upside down.
Fun Print Cohesive Bandages
When a pediatric patient has a wound, whether from venipuncture or a shot, a cohesive bandage is a helpful tool. Our fun prints may also help to distract the young patient, helping them feel more at ease. The soft, absorbent gauze will help close the wound without irritating hair or skin. Giving your patient a choice between camouflage, hearts and planes might even help them forget about the pain!
Preventing Identification Errors
Patient identification errors can have serious ramifications. Whether you are dealing with the health of a new mother and her baby or children of any age, clear communication is a crucial part of effective care. Caresfield offers a variety of patient identification bands to help protect your patients.
Labor and Delivery Wristbands
From the moment an expectant mother walks into your facility, it is important to have proper identification protocols in place. It helps ensure medications are properly administered and that both mama and baby receive the best possible care.
In our blog post Labor and Delivery ID Bands May Help Protect Mothers, Newborns, we walk through safe practices and help you find the best solution for your facility.
Pediatric Wristbands
There are several reasons your pediatric patients may need identification bands. Whether you are performing lab tests or administering medication, patient identification bands help ensure each patient gets the right care. This can be especially important when your patient can’t communicate their medical history or allergies. Caresfield’s pediatric identification bands have an antimicrobial coating and are resistant to liquids.
Let’s Talk!
Caresfield has served the healthcare industry for over 30 years. We offer quality products that help you focus on patient care. We work with local and national group purchasing organizations to help you get the best price. Most importantly, we offer free samples for you to test in the field. You can see the difference our products make for yourself, so you can have an informed discussion with your supply chain team.
In addition, we work to make it as easy to order as possible. If you need help, real people answer our phones and respond to live chats on our website. If you have a question, we’ll find the answer!
