Photo: (In the Power Wheels) Stella Tasler and Jack Weisenborn (Running the controls) Dawn Bonham, RN and Jennifer Carstens, RN
St. Anthony Regional Hospital has given children one through eight the opportunity to ride to their procedure in style with the introduction of Power Wheels. The kids who are heading into the operating rooms are given the choice between a Jeep or Ferrari battery-powered vehicle to ride down the hallway, with an assist from the nurses and anesthetists who handle the remote controls. Surgery Unit Director, Dawn Bonham, RN, saw this method used to help relieve children’s fears in California and thought it would be a great idea to implement it here. “We have seen the anxiety on the faces of our young patients, many of whom have never been inside a hospital or surgery unit in their entire lives,” she says. “When scared kids find out they can go to the operating room riding in a cool, little car, they light up and their fears melt away.” The staff also found that when the parents saw their children at ease, they were less anxious as well. According to Ed Cutler, St. Anthony’s anesthesia director, preparation for surgical procedures begins with talking to your children about it in a way they will understand and about why it is necessary. “Above all, stay as calm and matter of fact as possible,” Cutler says. “And if that doesn’t work, taking a ride in a sweet little car will sure help.” The small vehicles come complete with working seatbelts, lights inside and out and doors that open and close. But best of all, the horn honks and children can find their favorite songs on the working mini stereo.
