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Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com
Children and staff get ready before an operating room tour Saturday.
Nervous about surgery, taking a walk through the operating room can go a long way to help ease the mind of a child.
That’s why the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has been offering the Perioperative Pediatric Tour for the past four years. Children and their families can take a tour from administration to the recovery room in an effort to alleviate the stress they may feel.
“It’s always the fear of the unknown, especially when you’re dealing with children,” operating room manager Ron Turner said. “They’re nervous and parents are nervous about what’s’ happening to their children when they’re in the operating room.”
Children “gown up” and take a stretcher ride to the operating room where they meet with doctors and nurses to learn about procedures, anesthetics and what to expect. There’s even a puppet on the table that acts as a patient.
“They get so see what’s there prior to surgery,” Turner said.
The hospital opened the tour Saturday to participants from the Rendez-Vous 2012 conference to showcase pediatric care to medical students and professionals. Children of staff members played the part of patients.
“It’s a nice opportunity to showcase what we offer here,” Turner said.