A day in the life of a hospital play specialist.
During the last eighteen months I have worked as a Hospital Play Specialist on the day surgery ward at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. I am the first Play Specialist to be appointed at Alder Hey. My role is to work as a member of the paediatric team and to attend to the emotional needs of hospitalised children from the ages of 0-16 years. My aim is to make hospitalization a positive experience by providing therapeutic play programmes and preparing children, pre-operatively, for surgery. My day begins at 8:30am when the children have been admitted to the ward. I have devised a programme to meet each child's individual needs, explaining about their operation through play and so reducing stress and anxiety. A relaxed child often creates a relaxed parent.
Dolan
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D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D010988:Play and Playthings