Basic information

During admission it is important to establish contact with a child - we should introduce ourselves, ask the child's name, talk about its problems, show around, answer its questions etc.

When talking to children, avoid medical jargon. Very young children will understand words that are as simple as possible. Even then, they may not understand completely because their fear is stronger than everything else. Nevertheless, you must be very careful when talking to older children. They may feel insulted if you treat them like a baby. Try to make a mental note of the age of the patient and their level of understanding. Try to get a feel for how much jargon is too much jargon. You cannot speak to a child the way you would to an adult. You need to moderate your language, get down on the level of the child and use a soft tone of voice. Show them that you don’t mean them harm and try to  develop a relationship that will help them calm their fears. Sometimes, you need to do something that will cause them discomfort and you must explain this with honesty and using straightforward language.

Finally, it is important to include the child when talking about their health. You may have a tendency to ignore the child because it is much easier to talk to their parents. Children are very sensitive to this and they do not like being ignored. You should address the child at the beginning of your explanation and try to focus your talk on them and their needs. At the end, you should also ask the child if he or she has any questions. They may not but it helps them to feel included. Talk to the child as much as possible and then take the parents out of the room for more adult conversation if necessary.