Child Life
Child Life recognizes that illness and hospitalization are stressful events in the lives of children and their families. By using age-appropriate education, preparation, and supportive activities, we strive to minimize that stress and help children and families cope positively with their healthcare experience.
Our child life team supports patients and families during medical and crisis events in three specific ways:
Educate
Patients and families are provided opportunities to learn more about their healthcare experience through various types of developmentally appropriate education.
- Psychological preparation for medical events and the hospital environment
- Developmentally appropriate diagnosis and treatment specific education
- Post procedure education and reappraisal
- Family and sibling education regarding patient’s healthcare experience
Play
Structured and unstructured play opportunities are facilitated to encourage cathartic experiences and mastery of situations within the healthcare environment.
- Medical Play: An intervention using medical equipment to assess patient understanding, clarify misconceptions, and promote mastery towards hospitalizations and treatment plans.
- Therapeutic Play: An outlet for patients to release and communicate emotions towards past, present, and future events.
- Normative Play: Helps normalize the healthcare environment; as well as, provide comfort to patients and families.
Coping
Positive coping is promoted in the hospital setting by utilizing strategies and developing plans with patients, families, and the healthcare team.
- Encouragement, guidance, and distraction during medical events
- Modification of overwhelming and overstimulating environments
- Non-pharmacological pain management techniques (deep breathing, comfort positioning, etc.)
- Bereavement support through emotional outlets, legacy work, and memory making
