Ideas That Work: Snuggly Stuffies Calm Kids

Sometimes all it takes to put younger patients at ease before surgery is a friend — a furry one they can squeeze to death in the OR and take home with them after the procedure is over. That’s the idea behind the “Friendly Friends” that pediatric patients receive at the Hunterdon Center for Surgery in Flemington, N.J. The stuffed animals, which include creatures such as dinosaurs, dogs, pigs and hippos, are adorned with a branded bandana, which is a strategic move. “The bandanas are a marketing idea,” explains Lisa York, MSN, RN, CASC, CAIP, the facility’s executive director. “It’s another way for us to get our name out there.” She says the center performs a lot of pediatric ENT cases and the soothing stuffies are always well-received by patients and their families.