“ We want the playrooms , like a child ’ s room at home , to be a worry-free zone , and as safe an area for the child as possible .”
— Leah Woodward
Child life specialists are charged with bringing some normalcy into the lives of young hospital patients through play , education , and the development of coping skills that can be used during difficult illnesses or recovery from injuries .
A painted sign hanging on the wall across from his bed tells Josh , age 18 , when he ’ s scheduled to have each of his medications , so he doesn ’ t have to keeping asking the nursing staff . Another sign lists the times he can have his 4-ounce drinks . Josh ’ s condition prevents him from eating anything , so his limited drinks are a big treat .
“ It ’ s a way of giving him some routine and some control . He doesn ’ t have to wait and wonder when he might get more medication or another drink . He can look at the clock and the schedule and immediately know ,” Ms . Woodward explains . “ This structure is important to Josh .”
On this day , when she arrived at Josh ’ s room to start their session , his leg muscles were twitchy and uncomfortable , but his doctor wanted to wait before giving him medication . Instinctively , Ms . Woodward grabbed the modeling clay . After creating a successful clay turkey sculpture for Thanksgiving Day , the two were starting on Valentine ’ s Day hearts , taking extra care to ensure they were anatomically shaped .
“ Make it squareish oval ,” Josh says . “ Now make a candy cane part to come out of the top ,” referring to the aorta . After haggling over its position in the fashioned heart , Josh grimaced . “ My legs are restless , and I can ’ t handle it .”
Ms . Woodward put down the clay and massaged Josh ’ s legs to soothe the muscles and stop the twitching . The tension in Josh ’ s face disappeared . “ This is a waste of our time ,” Josh says . She soothes him by saying , “ It ’ s not a waste of time because this is what you need right now .”
A day ’ s work “ This job is about prioritization ,” says Ms . Woodward . She and her colleagues try to see every pediatric patient , every day . They work with children who are having surgery , seeing a radiologist , or receiving chemotherapy in addition to patients who are hospitalized for other illnesses and injuries .
Her day starts by reviewing patients ’ medical records to see who might be going in for a procedure or receiving a new kind of treatment . She speaks to the nurses to find out if there are patients who need some special attention , especially if they ’ ve been feeling anxious or scared . Then Ms . Woodward starts visiting patients . On this day , she walked a toddler and his IV pole down the hallway , distracted a child with bubbles as he was getting blood drawn , and spoke with a teenage girl ’ s grandmother about sedation and a spinal fluid test she would have later that day .
She encourages her pediatric patients to come to the Child Life Department playrooms whenever they ’ re feeling up to it . They are brightly lit and stocked with toys , books , games , and crafts as well as computers , a TV , and several kinds of video games , and are purely about fun and relaxation . Children can bring their siblings and adult family members , too . Staff members are encouraged to join in , as long as medical procedures stay out .
“ We want the playrooms , like a child ’ s room at home , to be a worry-free zone , and as safe an area for the child as possible ,” says Ms . Woodward . For that reason , blood draws , injections , and other procedures are confined to treatment rooms whenever possible .
One of the two playrooms in McLane Children ’ s Hospital Scott & White was donated by Temple-based company Wilsonart .
sw . org | Winter / Spring 12 The Catalyst 17