15. Scoliosis, Spinal Fusion, Halo Traction- Oh My! - Child Life Council

Child Life Council26 th Annual Conference on Professional Issues15. Scoliosis, Spinal Fusion, Halo Traction- Oh My!Presented By:Lucy Raab, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children's Mercy Hospital

Presenter Information Sheet:Scoliosis, Spinal Fusions, Halo Traction- Oh My!Lucy Raab, BA, CCLS III, Internship Coordinator (contact person)• BA- Special Education- Emphasis in medically fragile children• Certified Child Life Specialist• Internship CoordinatorOrthopedic/Trauma Unit Child Life SpecialistThe Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics2401 Gillham RoadKansas City, MO 64108Phone: (816) 802-1264Fax: (816) 460-1005Email: lraab@cmh.edu

AbstractScoliosis, Spinal Fusions, Halo Traction- Oh My!Child Life Specialists are challenged to understand, be familiar with, and should feelconfident and competent to talk with children and families regarding a variety of diagnosis andillnesses. This session will expose child life specialists and students to the basics of spinalabnormalities, including: Scoliosis, Anterior and Posterior Fusions, Spinal Anatomy, SpinalCurvatures and more specifically, Halo-Gravity traction.Child Life Specialists work to promote a positive hospital environment. The child lifespecialist often needs to expand programming and supportive services to provide appropriatecare for patients experiencing an extended length of stay. The purpose of this presentation is todemonstrate the rationale, implementation and evaluation of a halo-gravity traction program forpediatric patients with severe spinal curvatures and abnormalities. According to OrthopedicSurgeons in this pediatric setting, “Halo-gravity traction is giving us great results and although theprocess is a timely one, the outcomes are very positive.” Participants will be provided withspecific examples of innovative program development to assist with normalizing the environmentfor these patients and their families.Family reactions and explanations for siblings will also be explored, as described inMeeting Children’s Psychosocial Needs ,(Rollins, Bolig and Mahan, 2005), “the hospitalization ofa child creates stress for the entire family.” This pediatric institution provides a family centeredcare model and encourages participation by families in the long term admission of halo-gravitytraction patients.In this pediatric facility the child life specialist is viewed as an integral part of theorthopedic team, providing daily services to patients and families. Child Life is able to round withthe orthopedic team in order to assess patient needs and be familiar with updated plans of carefor the day. This multidisciplinary approach allows the children opportunities to achieve physicalgoals while also considering and implementing activities to assist children who are dealing withthe stressors of long term hospitalization. Children who are hospitalized for halo-gravity traction inthis facility can expect an approximate length of stay anywhere from three to seven months. Avariety of activities throughout a long term hospitalization breaks up the monotony of every dayroutine. This facility strives to implement creative programming with individual care plans in mind.This workshop will also outline activities to incorporate self image and self esteem forpatients of all ages but specifically adolescents. In many cases, spinal fusions are notrecommended until a patient reaches adolescence. It is natural for children in this developmentalage group to separate from family and instead develop a dependence on peers and socialgroups. Hospitalization can be threatening as it separates the teen from normal activities, disruptsschool, and most importantly, increases insecurities about self esteem, self image and self worth.

Attention to privacy and confidentiality is essential for teens, this Child Life Specialistcommunicates with other team members to assure the patient that his/her wishes of privacy arebeing met.In addition, this presentation will provide information regarding training volunteers to workwith children hospitalized for spinal abnormalities. The Child Life department of a pediatrichospital tailored training to “fit the need.” Thus maximizing programming on a daily basis.In summary, this presentation will include: explanations regarding spinal abnormalities,an in-depth look at a halo-gravity traction program, family centered care approaches, working withthe multidisciplinary team to achieve goals, self esteem and self image activities and issues, andequipping volunteers with the training needed to work with these types of patients. Case studiesof two patients of different developmental age groups will also be explored.Pediatric orthopedic patients offer a vast array of opportunities for a child life specialist toimplement skills and to assist patients with having a positive hospital experience!