The hospital experience can bring about a range of negative emotions for children. The literature clearly states that children who are prepared for surgery recover faster and have fewer negative effects. Pre-admission programmes seek to prepare children (and their parents) for surgery. This paper describes in detail how a pre-admission programme was established for children and their families who were scheduled for day case surgery.
AquilinaR, BaldacchinoD2007An exploration of Maltese patients' perceptions of their preparation for total joint replacement at the pre-admission clinicJournal of Orthopaedic Nursing11194–203
2.
BaulcombJ2003Management of change through force field analysisJournal of Nursing Management11275–280
3.
BrewerS, GleditschS, SyblikD, TietjensM, VacikH2006Pediatric anxiety: Child life intervention in day surgeryJournal of Pediatric Nursing21(1) 13–22
4.
ClarkK, VoaseR, CatoG, FletcherI.R, ThomasPJ2000Patients' experience of oral day case surgery: feedback from a nurse-led pre-admission clinicAmbulatory Surgery893–96
5.
CorkA2005A model for successful change managementNursing Standard9(25) 40–42
6.
FortierM, MacLaren ChorneyJ2009Children's desire for perioperative informationAnesthesia and Analgesia1091085–1090
7.
FranckLS, SpencerC2005Informing parents about anaesthesia for children's surgery: A critical literature reviewPatient Education and Counselling59(2) 117–125
8.
GilmartinJ2004Day surgery: patients' perceptions of a nurse-led preadmission clinicJournal of Clinical Nursing13243–250
9.
HugM, TönzM, KaiserG2005Parental Stress in paediatric day-case surgeryPaediatric Surgery International21(2) 94–99
10.
JustusR, WylesD, WilsonJ, RodeD, WaltherV, Lim-SulitN2006Preparing children and families for surgery: Mount Sinai's multidisciplinary perspectivePediatric Nursing32(1) 35–42
11.
LewinK1951Field Theory in Social SciencesLondon, Harper Row
12.
LiHCW, LopezV, LeeT2006Psychoducational preparation of children for surgery: The importance of parental involvementPatient Education and Counselling6531–41
13.
LiHCW, LopezV2008Effectiveness and appropriateness of therapeutic play intervention in preparing children for surgery: a randomized controlled trial studyJournal of Specialists in Pediatric Nursing13(2) 63–73
14.
LucasB2002Developing the role of the nurse in the orthopaedic outpatient and pre-admission assessment setting: A change management projectJournal of Orthopaedic Nursing6153–160
15.
PearsonA, RichardsonM, CairnsM2004‘Best Practice’ in day surgery units: a review of the evidenceJournal of Ambulatory Surgery1149–54.
16.
SchifalacquaM, CostelloM2009Roadmap for planned change Part 1: Change leadership and project managementNurse Leader April 26–29
17.
SmithL, CalleryP2005Children's accounts of their preoperative needsJournal of Clinical Nursing14(2) 230–238
18.
SuhonenRA, IivonenMK, VälimäkiMA2007Day-case surgery patients' health-related quality of lifeInternational Journal of Nursing Practice13121–129
19.
TromlettM2003Day surgery for childrenAnaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine4(12) 399–401
