APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) -An Appleton hospital is wheeling in comfort for its youngest patients with new remote-control ride-on cars.
The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and Surgery Team at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton purchased two remote-control cars to create a fun way to transport kids to surgery and help reduce surgical anxiety.
The sporty Jeeps were purchased with a $550 grant from ThedaCare’s Volunteer Services.
The cars, which are controlled by nurses, can give children a more positive surgical experience by reducing anxiety and fear that can come from being separated from their parents.
Nurse clinical lead, Mackenzie Holtschlag, says the cars have been transporting patients, between the ages of 2 to 7, for about a month now.
She says they’re seeing big changes in both patients and their parents.
“It’s really awesome to see because our pediatric patients, I mean naturally, surgery is a scary process, we found they get so much more enjoyment out of it, they’re not scared to be here, they’re not scared to be taken away from their parents. They just feel like, I feel, so much more empowered going back to surgery. We’ve seen a whole lot less tears with them going back to surgery and even smiles on parents’ faces, taking pictures; it really changes the experience,” she said.
ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton sees about 1,000 children each year who need surgeries such as ear tube replacements, dental work, minor plastic surgeries like cyst removals, urology surgeries, circumcision revisions, or occasional emergent surgeries such as appendectomies.
Comments