How Can Familiarization Be Difficult For Children

Throughout high school, I volunteered at Cook Children’s Hospital, which has contributed to my passion for working with kids. One of the best parts of working within pediatrics is that you can be as creative as possible. I once observed a child who had a disease that caused him to have weakened muscle tone and decreased coordination, among other things. For one of his therapy sessions, the therapist set up an obstacle course where he had to crawl, climb, kick, and throw. For the kid it was a game, and we raced to see who could do it the fastest; for the therapist the crawling and climbing was strengthening his muscles, and the kicking and throwing was working on his coordination. In another pediatric clinic I observed at, we pretty much played games the whole time, and it was a lot of fun for everyone involved. However, each game would be working on some aspect of the child’s condition and working towards getting them better. We also worked with babies, which I especially enjoyed, but these weren’t always fun and games. We would have to turn babies with torticollis ways that they did not want to go, and it would usually be a session full of crying. Though making babies cry generally makes me sad, knowing that I am allowing these babies a better quality of life in the future makes it worth

The facility appeared to have ample amount of age-appropriate toys, materials, and equipment – although some of the battery operated toys needed new batteries in order for them to work properly. Respectful and responsive curriculum is based on relationships that occur within planned and unplanned activities, experiences, and happenings (26). The caregiver allowed time for play and exploration and when appropriate allowed the children to determine what activity would occur. The environment was developmentally appropriate for the children present. Different areas of the room were sectioned off for certain activities and the materials that belonged with the activity stayed in the appropriate section. For example, the kitchen area had all the kitchen utensils and the library contained the books. All the toys and materials were at the children’s level and picture labels were used in the room to accommodate those who need visual assistance. There was a picture of a toy on the shelf where that toy should be placed when it was time to clean up. Each

Play is the universal language of children and allows children to express their emotions and individual responses to stressful situations. Play allows children to recreate crucial events that they have experienced and provides the child with a sense of control over the outcome of their play. The presence of a non-directive adult observer during play provides a companion for the child to recall difficult experiences and memories. Medical play is a way for children to work through the process of stressful medical experiences, where children cope with stressful healthcare experiences and can achieve mastery by creating positive outcomes in play. It is vital to understand coping strategies of children, since these approaches may affect their future reactions to healthcare situations. Children who have a sibling with a chronic illness can experience vicarious medical distress and their lives can be impacted by their siblings’ chronic illness. The researchers’ aim of this study was to observe and compare the reactions to medical trauma through play of children with medical illnesses, siblings of children with medical illness, and children who were healthy and did not have family members who were ill.

“Current theories about inclusive play revolve around the idea that play is important for life and that all play workers should be committed to creating play environments that are inclusive and that offer multi-sensory experiences for all children. Play environments should ensure children and young people can become involved in imaginary play and can help develop motor activity. They should also allow interaction in a safe environment. Play is seen as the language that can bring children of all different abilities together. All children and young people have the same basic needs and go through the same development stages, even though they may not all go through them at the same pace: some go through some stages more quickly than most, while others may become static in their development for a while. None of this should prevent access to any setting. Through play with other children they develop social skills and learn about behaviour, communication and friendship. Play is the tool for practical learning

This assignment is all about play and learning for children and young people. Play is engaging in an activity for enjoyment and pleasure however can also be used for learning purposes and development in children and young people. Play activities can be planned by practitioners within the setting or can be free-play, when a child goes off and plays by themselves. Play can be carried out individually or in groups and can also be carried out in different environments such as indoors and outdoors. ‘Research confirms the importance of play for infants in developing children’s brains and minds.’ (http://playtherapy.org.uk/ChildrensEmotionalWellBeing/AboutPlayTherapy/MainPrinciples/PlayDefinition) this is why practitioners encourage young children

It has been documented that children undergoing surgery and their families experience high levels of distress and perioperative anxiety. Stress and perioperative anxiety have the potential to cause more harm on post-surgical healing, in consideration of both physical and mental health, if not addressed promptly and properly. Child Life Specialists are pediatric healthcare professionals who are able to provide interventions to help reduce anxiety and increase developmental growth within pediatric patients, provide family centered care, and facilitating therapeutic play interventions for pediatric patients, all the while in the hospital environment (Child Life Council, 2014). Child life specialists are able to meet these values and missions to create a standard of practice that the American Pediatric Association recommends in all pediatric healthcare settings (Child Life Council, 2014). Typically, when child life specialists are working with pediatric patients undergoing anesthesia for surgical procedures they are able to participate as a part of the multidisciplinary health team to provide family centered care and increase a patient and their families understanding on the medical procedure at hand. A common intervention for pediatric patients undergoing anesthesia for surgical procedures include medical play and medical preparation sessions.

Young children that enter the hospital can be overwhelmed due to the health concerns that they have no control over most of the time. The patients parents and the young child have to undergo a meticulous process while at the hospital. At the beginning of this process the young patient is given a trinket or something that brings them comfort which is provided by the hospital. This will enable the young patient to have a more comforting experience and allow the patient to have more hope while at the hospital. One thing the hospitals may provide are little activity bags that contains, markers, crayons, coloring books, books, stuffed animals or even little squishy balls. This allows the young patient to come to ease with the troubles they are facing

Explain to children what they are going to play today (How to fill out the forms on the desk, how doctor fill out the animal breed chart). Tell them there are 2 roles in this play, which is doctor, nurse and patient. Make sure that they are going to take turns, so they get to play all the roles. Ask children who wants to play a doctor, nurse and

Setting provides children with a wide range of activities that support in heuristic play, where it helps children to find and discover things out by themselves through trial and error. (E.g.) provide children with treasure basket, box with Surgery items in the home corner, I encouraged children to feel free to explore and discover how to use them, I let them carry out their own investigation and use their imagination to act out as Doctors and Nurses and some children act as patients. They start with examining patient, asking questions and giving out pretending prescription. I stay close to see and observe the way children play and

Play is a way for children to learn about their environment and how interaction occurs within. It is through trial and error that children are able to create options; follow their own interests and show “independence in thought and actions” using their knowledge and understanding (Moyles, 2005, p.3). Children develop resilience though play. However for a number of children can experience stressful occurrences during their lives and play can often be restricted. Therefore the play worker’s role in supporting children’s play is a crucial measure towards children's development. For those that work with children require the dexterity to prompt and contribute to children’s play, which can be seen as a principle aspect of therapeutic alliance.

Collate, analyse and extract findings on current best evidence regarding play-based and sensory strategies for young people.

There have been various nonpharmacological strategies proposed to relieve pain in hospitalized children, and a central element of several of these strategies is play. The empirical research of play in the healthcare setting has not received much attention, however these authors believed that children during the postsurgical period would manifest less pain if they were refocused with play. This study aimed to determine the effect of a hospital program to promote play on postsurgical pain in pediatric patients. The authors believed that children distracted by play during the postsurgical period would manifest less pain than those who were not distracted by play during the postsurgical period. 95 patients (ages 1-7 years) who met predetermined criteria were eligible and participated in the study. The study contained both an experimental group and a control group and participants were randomly

The single mention of its portentous name suffices to remind even the most resolute of children of the caustic stench of sterilizing agents that chokes every last in of the atmosphere and the ominous gleam of needle raised to be plunged into the brachial plexus artery. Every child has come to associate their debilitative ailments and recalcitrant illnesses with the white-washed walls of a hospital. Through the tenacious effort of the San Diego Kids Zoo, our production team managed to compose a unique channel specially composed to proffer children with a brief moment of respite from their fear of the hospital. This eminent program features footage of the multifarious animals in the San Diego Zoo receiving training, veterinarian care, or educational tours, or the fascinating animals going about their daily business. A variety of hospitals have already employed the widespread usage of this programming in nearly every operating room and the visitor center. With the aid of San Diego Kids Zoo Channel, small patients can not only be distracted from their fears or anxieties of the hospital, but also have the opportunity to learn about animals around the world.

One recent study on the link between educational videos and behavior found out that video-distraction for pediatric patients in the emergency department can be a useful method to reduce anxiety and pain in children subjected to IV insertion (Navarro & Marquez, 2016). By using the video as a distraction it would lessen the suffering of the patient and, at the same time, allow intravenous insertion to be performed. With this method it diverts the stressful stimulus, and has the patient focus on a more pleasant stimulus. In audio-visual distraction there was effectiveness in managing pain and promoting cooperation in children undergoing intravenous insertion. In this study parents and children were given detailed information according to their cognitive development and parents were asked

Providing both a sand area and an art area as play centers in a children’s hospital playroom is essential for providing a variety of therapeutic, sensory, child-directed, and developmentally appropriate play activities. Sand and art play can help children of various ages to express themselves, work on their fine motor skills, unleash their creativity, and just be kids while in the unfamiliar and potentially frightening hospital environment (CITE 1). There is evidence that helps to support the functions and needs for a sand area and an art area in a children’s hospital playroom.