Interventions to Reduce Anxiety and Facilitate Anesthesia in Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Perioperative Environment

Authors

• Phillip Burdick, St. John Fisher UniversityFollow
• Holly E. Brown, St. John Fisher UniversityFollow
• Heather McGrane Minton, St. John Fisher UniversityFollow

Document Type

Poster Presentation

Publication Date

3-2026

Abstract

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can have difficulties with communication, coping, sensory processing, social interactions, and adapting to changes in routines. Anesthesia may be a stressful experience for any patient due to increased anxiety and pain. These experiences can be heightened in children with IDD thus increasing future pre- and post-operative aggression, traumatic inductions, and flight behavior. The research in pre-operative care is limited regarding interventions for children with IDD. This integrative review aims to identify interventions to reduce anxiety and pain during pre-anesthesia care for children with IDD.

Comments

Presented at 38th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Eastern Nursing Research Society, March 25-27, 2026

Publication Information

Burdick, Phillip; Brown, Holly E.; and McGrane Minton, Heather, "Interventions to Reduce Anxiety and Facilitate Anesthesia in Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Perioperative Environment" (2026). Nursing Faculty/Staff Publications. Paper 227.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/nursing_facpub/227

Please note that the Publication Information provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit https://libguides.sjf.edu/citations.