Nurse anaesthetist's interactions and assessment of children's anxiety

Sammanfattning: Forty to sixty percent of all children having surgery experience preoperative anxiety. Preoperative anxiety is a risk factor for negative behavioural changes postoperative. It is of importance to find strategies in the interaction with the child to reduce anxiety. The overall aim was to describe CRNA's interaction with the child in relation to anxiety during anaesthesia induction and to describe the translation process of m-YPAS into Swedish and the testing of the psychometric properties in a Swedish context. In paper I an explorative qualitative approach with CIT was used and 32 CRNAs were interviewed. Experiences described were about the organisation which included effect of information, teamwork and time. Other experiences were grouped around interrelations such as, communication, meeting both anxious and calm children and experiences of use of physical restraint. Actions taken to reduce anxiety were optimizing the situation, as acting according to the situation, it could mean altering routines, though always without jeopardizing the safety of the child, preparing ahead and using distraction. Creating interpersonal interaction such as, creating contact, participation and using collaboration with the child, parents and colleagues. In paper II m-YPAS was translated into Swedish using cross cultural back translation. The psychometric properties of m-YPAS were tested in two phases. In phase I 52 children were assessed in real time by two SRNAs and one CRNA using m-YPAS and NAS. In phase II 98 video films of children were assessed by experienced CRNAs in the same way as in phase I. The psychometric properties of m-YPAS were good. Conclusion: In the interaction between CRNAs and the child, being flexible and sensitive to the child, taking the role of the child, and acting according to the need of the child were cornerstones in reducing preoperative anxiety and avoiding use of physical restraint. The m-YPAS can be used as an educational tool to enhance the anaesthetist's ability to interpret the child's anxiety. The m-YPAS is a valid and reliable assessment instrument to examine the efficiency of interventions and compare the result of research between cultures.