in wearing a shirt or carrying a backpack with a special character on
it. I usually have an anesthesia bag in my collection to match and do
my best to draw one up if I don't. As soon as I show the child the spe-
cial bag that we will be using during their time with us, they light up
and their fears fade.
As we put children to sleep, I tell them to keep their eyes on the char-
acter on the "balloon" so they can see it "dance" as the bag expands and
collapses. When I use a bag featuring Elsa, for example, I'll direct the
child's attention to the bag and say something like, "Look at Elsa work-
ing to spread all of the magic around the room." One 4-year-old boy
woke up from his procedure calling out, "Balloon! Balloon!" We gave
him the bag and he snuggled up with it and drifted into a peaceful post-
operative nap. Of course, kids get to take the bags home as souvenirs.
Anisa Manion, MSN, CRNA, ARNP
Seattle (Wash.) Children's
Bellevue Clinic & Surgery Center
buxomly@gmail.com
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