Put a fish tank in your ED waiting room
Some ED nurses have found that fish tanks can make waiting more pleasant for pediatric patients.
"It definitely helps distract kids for awhile," says Donna Thomas, RN, MSN, CEN, nursing director of the ED at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. The movement of the fish holds their attention better than pictures on a wall.
The ED has a semi-circular salt water tank several feet long full of colorful tropical fish. A raised platform allows children to walk around and view the fish from behind the tank.
The downside? "The tropical fish are finicky, so if kids constantly tap on the tank, it stresses the fish out. And people seem to get mad if one of the fish dies I guess they expect us to resuscitate them," notes Thomas.
[Editor’s note: Each month, ED Nursing will share a Tip of the Month with our readers. We’d love to include your ED’s tip. Contact Staci Bonner, Editor, American Health Consultants, P.O. Box 740056, Atlanta, GA 30374. Telephone: (770) 977-7527. Fax: (770) 973-7393. E-mail: [email protected].]
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