Creating a Sensory-Friendly Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction: For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sensory-processing disorder (SPD), an unexpected visit to the emergency department can be an overwhelming experience that creates intensifying behaviors and an unsafe clinical interaction for the child, nurses, and providers. Although resources exist to help nurses work with this specialized group, there are limited examples of the challenges and opportunities of modifying an emergency department to be a place where nurses can provide sensory-informed care.

Methods: Guided by Watson's Theory of Caring, nurses and child life specialists in our pediatric emergency department initiated a practice improvement (PI) project to create a sensory-friendly emergency department. The nurses (1) engaged with community members and families, (2) examined current practices, (3) modified the patient care environment, (4) collaborated in an interprofessional educational session, and (5) created a shared vision for the modified patient-care environment.

Results: This article describes the nurse-initiated PI process and the journey to create an evidence-based sensory-friendly pediatric emergency department. A model is presented so that other facilities can embark on their own initiative, and case studies are used to evaluate project outcomes.

Discussion: Integrating current evidence, staff suggestions, community input, and expert advice allowed us to find creative solutions to the unique sensory needs of children who visit our emergency department. Modifying both the patient-care environment and the patient-flow process to accommodate for the needs of children with ASD/SPD created a more peaceful and healing environment for children and their families and gave nurses the support they needed to provide sensory-informed care.

Keywords: Emergency department; Pediatric; Sensory friendly; Sensory-informed care; Sensory-processing disorder.