A mini ambulance is calming the nerves of some of Western Health’s littlest patients before surgery.
Young children who are set for surgery at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital are driving themselves to the operating theatre in a remote-controlled car in a bid to make surgery less scary.
The ambulance, which features lights and sirens and a walkie talkie, was donated to the hospital by Werribee’s Smile and Ride Australia.
Nurse unit manager Simone Cooley said children ride in the car on the last leg of the journey from the holding bay to the operating theatre.
“They are often cold, hungry and scared and parents are also quite stressed,” she said. “It is a great distraction for all.
“Staff often line the corridor and even though children feel like they are driving the car, more often than not, it is one of our staff members using the remote control to move them safely to theatre.”
Research shows that riding in a toy car can reduce preoperative anxiety in preschool children undergoing surgery, Western Health said.
Tara Murray
