List three ways a CLS can contribute to pain management during procedures.

• A. Distraction, procedural coaching, and comfort positioning (alongside adherence to the prescribed analgesia plan).
• B. Rely solely on pharmacologic analgesia.
• C. Delay procedures to reduce pain.
• D. Limit communication during procedure.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that a CLS strengthens pain management during procedures by using nonpharmacologic strategies that accompany any prescribed analgesia. Distraction helps shift the child’s attention away from the procedure, reducing perceived pain and distress. Procedural coaching equips the child with simple coping skills—breathing, phrasing, and age-appropriate explanations—that make the experience feel predictable and controllable. Comfort positioning reduces physical discomfort and anxiety by finding positions that ease tension and reduce procedural pain signals. When these strategies are used together with the prescribed analgesia plan, the overall level of pain and distress tends to be lower, and the procedure can go more smoothly.

Relying solely on medication misses the powerful benefits of psychological and behavioral support that help children cope in real time. Delaying procedures to “wait out” pain just creates more anxiety and can make eventual pain harder to manage. Limiting communication during the procedure undermines trust and undermines the child’s ability to use coping strategies.