How to teach a 7yrs/o to his operation?

having a pediatric client he is 7 years old and undergo a surgery (appendectomy). the nurse going to explain the surgery to the little boy.

what are the techniques, approach and visual aid for the kid to know the surgery doing to him?

do the nurse needs to be more in medical terms or be in the age of that 7y/o boy, in explaining the surgery?

She definately needs to explain it in a way the seven-year-old will understand. Using medical terms and jargon will only scare him. It's like a foreign language to those of us who are not familiar with it.

I wouldn't over-explain it. For the most part, he doesn't need to know all the details, just what he can expect. So telling him he has an appendix, but it isn't healthy, so it needs to be taken out may work just fine. Make sure he knows that it's a surgery that is done often, and that the appendix doesn't NEED to stay in there.

Then let him know the timeline of events. If he'll have a mild sedative (commonly referred to as a "pink cocktail" by the outpatient pediatric surgeons at a local hospital), let him know that, how it is administered, and how it will make him feel. If he will be given anesthesia by gas first, let him know that. Will he be knocked out before he's wheeled to the OR, or will he be awake and alert as he's going? Let him know who will be there, since the parents can't (for example, let him meet the surgeon or anesthesiologist ahead of time). Have someone he's met be there as he's going under, so he can hold their hand if he needs to, and who can talk to him and make him feel comfortable, because an OR is a scary place for an adult. It can be terrifying for a child if you aren't there and don't actually know what to expect, or if you feel like you're all alone.

Let him know how long he will be under, where he will wake up (this is important for a lot of kids) and what he can expect, post-op.

Then answer his questions.

The person to do all this needs to be comfortable with children, and supportive to THEIR needs (because their needs are different than adults).

Humor is important here. Telling him he may experience drowsiness and vertigo, and telling him he'll feel like he would if he spun around in 100 circles then tried to run across the house are two different ways to explain the same effect, only one way is more likely to scare a child or at least cause them confusion (what child that age understands "drowsiness" and "vertigo"???), and the other is funny and is more likely to make him feel comfortable.

Explain to this young child in a young childs language. Best thing is to actually get a "boy doll" and 'show' him what's going to happen. It might scare him actually, but I do understand the logic behind telling this child. I would do it in a humorous way for the childs sake. G'luck.

With a 7 year old you always explain in terms that is easiest for him to understand. This stands true for anything , not just surgery. Explain he will be given sleeping medicine and when he is asleep, the doctor will take a instrument called a laproscope and will make a tiny hole below and to the right of his belly button and remove his unwanted and not needed appendix. He will probably stay in the hospital over night and you will be there with him ( long night for you LOL ) He will be able to eat jello right after he is awake and go home in the morning.
As far as visual aids, I would not do any more than what I said above. It is always best to be precise in the way he understands, but never over do it.
( Connie Mom of 4 )

my son had his tonsils out at 5 not the same I know but still surgery. Use words he understands but not baby talk, explain what the words mean if you use medical terms, My son didn't need any visual aid. I just told him the doctor was going to put him to sleep with some medicine, then he would remove his tonsils, give him a few stitches, and he would wake up in a different room. It worked pretty well I've actually noticed that post op is more difficult b/c they are still drowsy,sometimes cranky from anesthesia.

I was 7 when I had my appendix out. I don't remember anyone making a big deal out of it. 7 year olds aren't 7 month olds. They understand quite a bit, and they no longer think their bodies are solid inside like a potato, they understand what internal organs are. "Your appendix is making you sick. We're going to take it out. You'll have a scar on your belly and will be sore for while, but you'll be fine after that!" The less of a deal anyone makes of it, the less concerned he'll be.

Personally ive had over 20 surergies in my life time and they started off from the day i wasborn and possible ones in the future. So its a life I know. However I do know it is to be a kid about to have surgery. Basically all you really need to do is tell them, "The Dr. found out why your tummy is hurting, it is because your appedix is sick. Which is an organ in your body that isn't NEEDED. So the Dr is going to take it out for you to make you feel better." Then say"He is going to give you some medication to make you go to sleep, when you are asleep you won't feel anything, but the Dr. is going to make a little hole on your belly so he can take your appendix out. When they are done they are going to bring you into another room where they are going to wake you up. You might be in some pain when you wake up but when the pain goes away youll feel much much better". Turn it into a positive, children react the way the adults react around them, if you or the parents are a wreck so will he, howevr if you lightly tell him whats going on and why they are doing it they will take it much better.