When my daughter split her chin falling at the playground, we had to pay a visit to the ER. And while the injury itself was not at all positive, I was immediately comforted when I remembered CPMC’s Pediatric ED.
I know a lot about CPMC’s Pediatric ED because while I was Managing Editor of San Francisco Bay Area Moms, I received a tour and conducted an interview with the lead physician.
I am happy to say that my experience reflected everything that I was told during the tour. We were checked in and seen right away. Kiara was cared for by the kind Dr. Dalton, excellent nurses, and a child life specialist who made her feel comfortable and went over each procedure with her before it happened.
With the guidance of her child life specialist, Kiara performed each step of disinfecting, numbing, taping, and gluing on a baby doll. After we were home, all her baby dolls became her patients who had split their chin. Along with preparing her, I also feel the follow-up play that she engaged in the next day helped her cope with the whole experience.
As a San Francisco girl, I generally think of ERs as scary places where you have to wait for hours, probably next to someone with a vicious dog (true story). This association is sometimes enough to make me contemplate whether it’s worth it to even go.
I am so grateful that I never have to make that decision with my child. If she needs care, she can get it, and the experience will be one where my family feels supported and respected. I know I can bring her to a safe, child-friendly place that takes a trauma-informed approach to make sure her experience is as comfortable and soothing as possible.
And yes, she got to take home one of the rubber ducks!
