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Nurse-Led Card Game Eases Kids' Pre-Surgery Anxiety

A nurse-led card game reduces children's anxiety at operating room entry and improves cooperation during anesthesia, offering a low-cost alternative to digital tools.

This news matters because preoperative anxiety affects a majority of children undergoing surgery, leading to poorer cooperation, more pain, and lasting behavioral issues. A simple, low-cost card game that nurses can deliver in busy wards offers a scalable alternative to expensive digital tools, potentially improving the surgical experience for countless children and families. While more research is needed, the findings highlight the power of non-digital therapeutic play and suggest that pairing child-focused interventions with caregiver support could further enhance outcomes.