Family Game Night

by Stephanie Kellough
Child Life Assisant

If you spend an extended period of time in the hospital it can get pretty boring for patients and families.  One thing that Le Bonheur Children's Child Life Department does is encourages families to have their own game night.  It is a great way to get the family together for a fun time that they may not think of doing otherwise.  As a matter of fact, a family game night may be perfect for your family.

It can be difficult for families to spend quality time together, especially when you consider school, work, and every thing in between.  However, bringing your family together doesn’t have to be a major Operation.    In The Game of Life, what’s important is the time you spend with your family. Even if you all have crazy schedules, making your family a priority is worth the effort.   What better way to spend quality time together than a game night? 

Here are some great reasons to start having a family game night:

• When your children are acting like a Barrel of Monkeys, family game night can help.
• If you want to lessen the Risk of losing touch with your family, family game night can help.
• If you want to learn more about your children’s personalities, here’s a Clue, family game night can help.
• If you want a Memory to last a lifetime, family game night can help.

 Bonding with your family is easy as Uno, dos, tres.  Family game night does not have to be exhausting. So before you Topple over, just remember to keep it simple.  Here are a few games that we suggest to help keep it simple: Battleship, Twister, Sorry, Cooties, Trouble, Checkers, Scrabble, Connect Four, Taboo, Monopoly, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Cranium, Cadoo, and Mancala. 

Here’s wishing you a Happy Game Night!!!

TAGS: family_fun, child_life_month

Child's Play

by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Here we are in the second week of March, and we are still celebrating Child Life Month.  This week are focusing on games, which are a great form of play.  So, I thought I would take a chance to talk about one of the organizations that we work with to help us to let families play.

The name of that organization is Child's Play.  Their beginning comes from the gang at Penny Arcade in 2003.  They began working with children's hospitals to provide toys and games for the patients treated there. Child's Play has brought together the gamer community from all across the internet. 

Le Bonheur Children's has been working with Child's Play for a while now, and they have been a real life saver for us.  One of the hardest things for us to keep enough of is video games, and Child's Play has been a true hero for Le Bonheur Children's.  There have been several times our staff has commented that they don't know what they would do with out them.

Child's Play has done an excellent job of messaging and organizing people to help meet the individual needs of each children's hospital enrolled.  As a matter of fact, they even have a specific page for Le Bonheur Children's.  On top of the wish list, there are lots of other great things that they do.  Be sure to check out there website for a better understanding of all they do.

So, from all of the patients and families that have been helped and the entire Child Life Department at Le Bonheur Children's, thank you Child's Play for all of the great things that you do.

TAGS: childs_play, child_life, play

Game-a-Palooza

by Stephanie Kellough
Child Life Assistant

It’s true that in March Le Bonheur Children’s celebrates Child Life Month.  It’s also true that in Child Life, we are all about education, empowerment, advocacy, and family support. We aim to meet patients and families where there needs are, and  that means being ready with any number of services.

In addition to all of those listed above, Le Bonheur Children’s Child Life Services strongly believe in the power of play.  It is the serious work of childhood, after all!  We believe in play so much that an entire week of Child Life Month is dedicated to it. So, welcome to the second week of March, or as we like to call it…Game Week!

One of the biggest activities during Game Week is Game-A-Palooza.  This year marks the third annual Game-A-Palooza, and needless to say, we are so pumped for it!  Game-A-Palooza is a giant game that is geared towards the patient and their family.  It is similar to The Price is Right. 

Patients and their family members become our contestants and are invited to “Come on down”.  We then play a series of games ranging from Pictionary to Charades to Tic Tac Toe Trivia.  Everyone who comes down gets a chance to play our games and everyone walks away a winner!  Even the patients who can’t come out of their rooms, for various reasons, get to watch on our CCTV.  It’s such a fun day and we are hoping for our biggest turnout ever. 

Child Life Services knows the important of play, and the role that it serves in the hospital experience.  Throughout the year we use play and games to teach about the hospital, to distract from the environment, or to even just have fun.  Everyone expects excellent care when they come to the hospital, and Child Life Services goes the extra effort to make sure that they can expect some fun too.

TAGS: child_life_month, child_life, special_event, family_fun, play

Let your SuperStar Shine

by Casey Caughran
Child Life Specialist

We all have a superstar in us, and it’s that part that is deep down inside that just shines.  Our plan is to recognize and reward the hard work of our Le Bonheur Children’s associates.  In order to do this we are engaging our patients and families in an activity promoting patient- and family-centered care.

We are going to put the Le Bonheur Children’s staff to the test and have some fun with it.  We’ll get started by distributing superstars to each of our patients.  The patients and their families will choose who is going above and beyond while demonstrating patient- and family-centered care.

Each child will have the opportunity to decide who will earn a star.  The staff member will then be in the running for becoming the ultimate “superstar”.  During our Pep Rally, which you have already read about, the “superstar” will be announced and recognized for serving Le Bonheur Children’s patients and families with compassion.  Stay tuned to find out who LeBonheur Children’s SuperStar will be.

The Child Life Department promotes patient- and family-centered care on a daily basis. We strive to put the patient and family first and keep them involved in all aspects of their admission and treatment. This activity has several goals, one of, which includes promoting patient- and family-centered care. 

Additionally, the activity will provide an opportunity for control for participating patients.  Giving children a responsibility promotes a sense of control over any given situation.  While hospitalized, much control is taken away from patients, and where it can be gained is crucial.

TAGS: child_life_month, child_life, patient_and_family_centered_care

Child Life Month: Spirit Week!

Note:  As part of Child Life Month, we are having posts about different aspects of Le Bonheur Children's Child Life Services.  I am excited to do so by introducing a new writer, Casey Caughran, who is part of the Child Life team.

by Casey Caughran
Child Life Specialist

We are kicking off Child Life Month with Spirit Week.  The idea behind the week long celebration is to get Le Bonheur Children's associates excited and aware of Child Life Month.  This is an opportunity for the Child Life staff to educate those around us of our role on the treatment team and the services that we can provide their patients.

We will do this through both fun and education.  For example, we will have the different units and areas of the hospital show their Le Bonheur Children's Spirit through decorating a megaphone.  They will have to be extra creative if they want to win during a special event during the week.

One of the main events during Spirit Week is going to be our first ever Pep Rally.  It will be a big event that will engage the entire hospital in the celebration, and at the same time help raise awareness of Child Life Services.  One of the more fun elements during the Pep Rally will be our very own child life staff will be performing silly skits to entertain our patients and families.
 

A big part of being a child life specialist is providing a normal environment that can also provide distraction from the overall hospital experience.  Special events, such as our Pep Rally, are just one way our Child Life team provides distraction from the hospital environment and promotes positive coping throughout a hospital admission.  Our goal is to provide normalcy to the hospital, and to do so during moments that bring smiles to our patients’ faces despite the otherwise uncomfortable events. 
 

Spending time in a small room with strangers coming and going all day, experiencing blood tests and/or procedures does not seem like the greatest of days.  Imagine watching somebody pick marbles up with their toes or pick cotton balls up with their nose (covered in petroleum jelly).  Now that is funny!  You have heard it said, “Laugher is the Best Medicine”.

TAGS: special_event, child_life, child_life_month

Happy Child Life Month!

By Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Do you know that March is Child Life Month?

Well, if not, you do now, and as is the tradition of many professional months, we use it as an opportunity for education and advocacy.  This usually means that on top of all of the other great things that the Child Life program at Le Bonheur Children's does, we do that much more.  I should share that this is true not just for us, but for almost all of the other child life programs around the nation (and world).  It is a great reminder for us of the importance of the work we do.

Over the course of this month, we're going to have a variety of different child life specialist write different blog posts.  Our hope is to showcase different aspects of our roles here in the hospital, and we'll just be scratching the surface.  I would encourage you to ask any questions of us you want (just leave a comment), and we'll make sure we answer it.

Now, to start of the month, I thought I would share a link to a poem about the role of child life specialists.  Thanks to the Child Life Council for sharing it, and to Steve Slowinski, a former child life intern at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, for writing it.

Happy Child Life Month!

TAGS: child_life

Is an engineer degree required to open children's toys?

If you have ever had the joy of being the parent of a child on the receiving end of gifts, especially during a birthday party, it can be exciting.  There is no better feeling than seeing your child’s eyes light up with excitement over their new toy(s).  However, there is a price for that fun, and it’s paid when your child wants the toy out of the packaging.

Removing toys from their packaging has become a tremendous battle fought by parents everywhere.  It is often filled with whining, questions (i.e. is it out yet?), and tears (usually the parent’s).  It can leave you asking whether or not you need an engineering degree to complete the task.

Nothing is more disheartening than watching it take four times longer to take the toy out of the package than it did to unwrap it.  Doing a large chunk of our work with children, Child Life Services has had to learn to open toys (and to do it with some sense of quickness).  So, in order to help, I thought I would share some of our tools and tricks.

• Small Screwdrivers: Be sure to have both Phillips- and flat-heads because you never know which one a manufacturer will use.  Remember, the toy could be screwed into the packaging or have batteries that need to be put in place.
• Needle Nose Pliers: If you get a toy with the dreaded plastic-covered metal twist ties, this tool can be your best friend.  Most needle nose pliers have a wire cutter attachment to it.  You can slip it under the twist tie, cut it, and use the pliers to pull the twist tie out.
• Trash Bag: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten this, and paid to price of trash every where.
• Batteries: Save yourself the headache by keeping AA and AAA batteries on hand, and for bigger toys, don’t forget C and D batteries.  Also, don’t forget that most remote control vehicles need a 9-volt.

So, whichever toy-giving season draws close, remember that a little advance preparation can speed up this task.  You’ll look like a hero to your child, and you’ll realize that after all, it’s just child’s play.

TAGS: child_life, tips_and_tricks

Children and Mirrors: A Love Affair for the Ages

The other day, I was getting my children ready for bed, and we were going through our typical routines.  Going to the bathroom, brushing our teeth, asking for one more hug, you know the usual stuff.  As I was talking with my children, I noticed something; they were not looking at me.  Instead, they were looking at themselves in the bathroom mirror. 

To take it one step further, they were “acting” to it.  They were entranced by their reflects, make facings and watching themselves as they spoke.  Then they broke that ever-important parent rule: they quit listening to me.  Instead, they were wrapped up in a world of themselves, just two five-year olds playing to the mirror.

This is not an isolated incident to my house, but instead is played out repeatedly. I’ve even had some people ask me if their child is being narcissistic.  If we remember our mythology, Narcissus feel in love with his own reflection (after shunning the love of Echo), and spent the rest of his life looking at his own reflection.  Needless to say, people have been worried about this for a long time.

Here’s the good news: a child entranced by their reflection is completely normal.  As a matter of fact, children can learn a great deal from mirrors, and you can use them to see developmental growth. The truth is children learn a concept of self through mirrors.  The child realizes what people see when they talk, make faces, and other activities.  You especially see this between 12 to 24 months, as children develop their sense of self.

For instance, place a small dot of lipstick on the nose of an infant and put them in front a mirror.  You can see the developmental growth as they realize that the mirror is not another baby, but instead them, which you can tell as they touch the spot on their own nose.  As a parent, this is an exciting developmental step to see first hand.

So, don’t worry if your child loves watching themselves in the mirror, it’s completely normal.  That's why so many children's toys have mirrors on them, they’re exploring the world and themselves.  Besides, you can always do what I do, make faces right along with you child.

TAGS: parenting, growth, child_development

Valentines Day Fun!

As February starts, many people dread the upcoming festivities that involve red, white, and love.  However, that's not true at Le Bonheur Children's, we love Valentines Day.  There is nothing more wonderful than helping children be able to great masterpieces to help tell those around the patient that they love them.  It is wonderful to watch the excitement build as the creativity sparks and the patient starts to get everything "just right".

Now, I can explain this all I want, but as they say, "a picture's worth a thousand words".  I hope you enjoy the photos our child life specialist took over the Valentines Day weekend.

TAGS: child_life, parties, special_event

A Day in the Life of the Haiti Medical Mission Team

As many of you are aware, Le Bonheur Children's sent a medical mission team to help treat the children and families in Haiti.  As an organization, we knew that sending a team was how a world leader in children's healthcare needed to respond.  It is our duty to not only help children in the Mid-South and United States, but any children around the world that need our care.  As the team returned last Friday, it was obvious that we had lived up to our mission.

For the next installment of A Day in the Life, it only seemed fitting to share the experience and perspective of the Le Bonheur Children's Haiti Medical Mission Team.

The team kept a blog of their experiences, which will give you a far more in-depth explanation of their work in Haiti.  I encourage all of you to read it and see all of the good this team did.

TAGS: haiti, a_day_in_the_life

The Teen Advisory Council

There are tens of thousands of children that come through the doors of Le Bonheur Children's every year.  It seems mind boogling, when you stop to realize that each one of those children have their own unique perspective and experiences.  The great news is that these children have a group that serves as their voice:  The Le Bonheur Children's Teen Advisory Council!

The Teen Advisory Council is an advisory board for the hospital that provides insight to the concerns and interest of children impacted by Le Bonheur Children's.  To date, the group has given input on the new hospital layout, the teen room for the FedExFamilyHouse, the television channel lineup, and specific recipes served with patients.  Additionally, this group has served as advocates for children's health.  Members have appeared on educational videos providing perspective, spoken with various elected officials, and made their opinions known in the national conversation.  Even with all of the previous, I am only skimming the surface (not to mention I haven't talked about the fun stuff).

The board is comprised of single timers (a single admission), frequent fliers (lots of admissions), siblings, and "future" patients (lucky enough to not have to go to the hospital).  Why so many different areas?  Simply put, each "type" of member represents a different perspective to the children impacted by the hospital.  For instance, siblings can easily be forgotten when discussing how certain policies should be set up, but their view is different from that of the patient, giving a fuller view of the family.  Those members that are current and former patients represent units and service lines from across the hospital.  The members are between the ages of 12 - 18, and are not afraid to share their opinions (then again, what teenagers aren't).

I have had the pleasure of working with this group for the past several years and they amaze me with their insight and understanding of the hospital.  The work that they do is invaluable, and Le Bonheur Children's is a better place for it.

TAGS: teen_advisory_council, advocacy, patient_and_family_centered_care

The Parent's ED Primer: Waiting (Part 2)

In our last post, I shared some advice from members of our Family Partners Council on waiting while in Le Bonheur Children’s Emergency Department (ED).  Waiting is such a major element of the process that there are still more bits of advice.  ED visits usually surprise people, and as Sheila, a member of the Le Bonheur Children’s Family Partner Council, put it, “it is sometimes hard to think quickly when it becomes an emergency.” 

After talking with some more parents and the ED child life specialists, here are the pointers we received:

• Comfort Items: If there is a favorite pacifier, stuffed animals, or blanket.  If your child gets upset, it is always nice to have a familiar item there to comfort them.  It helps to bring a little bit of home to the hospital.
• Toys and Activities: If time permits, grab some age appropriate activities.  Handheld games (i.e. PSP, Gameboys), favorite toys, portable DVD players, iPods, or any other toys (or gadgets) your child might take on a long car trip.  It’s always a good idea to grab headphones to help your child and you.
• Entertainment for Mom: Additionally, Sheila recommends “likewise for mom bring your Blackberry, iPhone, or whatever.”  Le Bonheur Children’s has free wireless internet access, so feel free to bring along a laptop.  All of these devices are great helps in keeping other people aware of what’s going on.  Crystal, one of the ED child life specialists, mentioned the importance of grabbing charging cables.

Don’t be afraid to create games and play with your child.  It will help to keep both of you focused, and help the time pass faster.  One of my favorite games has been to count ceiling tiles, and to see who can do it the fastest.  Other games might be I Spy and 20 Questions.

Two of the most important things that will help make waiting a little easier on everyone are humor and patience.  Everyone who comes to a ED is in a stressful situation, and sometimes just being able to laugh things off can go a long way.

TAGS: waiting, stress, parents_ed_primer

The Parent's ED Primer: Waiting

Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of visiting any Emergency Department (ED) is the waiting.  As I was asking some parents for advice on the ED, waiting came up time and again.  Renee, a member of the Le Bonheur Children’s Family Partners Council, described the experience in an ED as being a lot of “hurry up and wait.”

Whether it is to be taken into the back, for a nurse or doctor, to be admitted, or to be discharged, waiting is a part of the process.  One of the hardest parts of waiting for the ED associates are that they cannot tell you how long you may have to wait.  As we discussed the triage process, there may be critically ill patients that may be arriving by ambulance and helicopter, and you might experience a slight delay.

There are steps that you can take to help make the waiting a little easier on yourself and your child. 

Michelle, another member of the Family Partners Council, suggests that parents try their best to leave other children at home.  As she puts it, “it makes everything so much more stressful for everyone – patient, parent, nurses and doctors when there are other children running around.”  It is not that other children are not welcome, in experience of our seasoned parents, it adds another layer of stress for the parent.

Additionally, Renee wanted to stress the importance of not letting your child eat anything while waiting.  She states that “certain tests will require that [your] child be NPO [nothing by mouth], but you may not know that coming into the hospital.”  This can be stressful for parents, but it is important to help you get through the process faster.  Once in your are being treated, you can ask the nursing staff if your child can have something to eat.

In the next post, we’ll look at some other strategies that can help make the waiting go by faster.  And if you have any suggestions, leave a comment to pass them on.

TAGS: stress, parents_ed_primer, waiting

The Parent's ED Primer: ED Fast Track

Yesterday, I talked about the importance of the triage process, and how a decision is made to determine the degree of treatment need for your child.  If the decision is made that a lessened degree of treatment is needed, you will be assigned to the Le Bonheur Children’s ED Fast Track.

If you are not sent to the ED Fast Track, don’t worry.  Despite what the name may imply, it actually makes visits to the Le Bonheur Children’s Emergency Department faster for everyone.  If a patient is kept in the main emergency department it is because of the need for that level of care.  The ED Fast Track is a little bit closer to a minor medical center.

So, once you check-in with the triage nurse, they will give you a “blue pager.” This circular pager will appear similar to those that you might get at a restaurant on a busy night.  However, this pager will help you more than you realize.  During the wait time, we know that people get nervous about even getting up to go to the bathroom for fear that they will miss their name being called.  There isn’t need to worry about being called.

Once you are sent over to the Fast Track area, you will check-in with their team at the window.  They will give you another set of paperwork to be completed.  At this point, you’re still going to hold on to the pager.  Once you’ve completed the paperwork, you will turn it back in at the window (and still hold to the pager).

Now comes the fun part, you get to wait for the pager to go off.  The great news is that this group works tremendously efficiently, and will do everything in their power to treat you in our child as quickly as possible.  Once your pager lights up and vibrates you and your child will go to the window, give the staff the pager, and they’ll take you to a room to be treated.

So, in a few short paragraphs, that is the Le Bonheur Children’s Emergency Department Fast Track.  Also, if you've been to Le Bonheur Children's ED before, you may have heard of the Fast Track referred to by other names (examples of previous names have been Non-Acute Care and Zone 8).

TAGS: navigating_le_bonheur_childrens, parents_ed_primer, emergency_department

The Parent's ED Primer: Triage

Once you’ve navigated to the appropriate check-in desk, you begin the process of triage and registration.  This is an important step in the emergency department process, and there are several things that you can do to help.  The first thing you will need to do is fill out the necessary paperwork.  I know it’s not the most fun step, but it is important.

After/while you fill out the paperwork, your child will be triaged.  Triage is a system of prioritizing patients for treatment, and there is a dedicated registered nurse to that will determine the degree of treatment need for your child. Le Bonheur Children's uses a 5 point scale, with a score of 5 having the lowest degree for treatment need and a score of 1 being the most.

One of the things that can be frustrating to families waiting is seeing a child, who arrived after you, to be called back before your child.  Because some injuries and illnesses are life threatening and require immediate attention, emergency rooms cannot operate on a first come, first served basis.  The triage system makes sure that sicker children will be seen first.

During the triage process, you will be asked for information about your child.  This could include their date of birth, a home/cell number for medical follow-up, your child’s doctor.  Additionally, there are other things that you might be able to tell the triage nurse that will help them make a more informed decision.

A parent, with whom I recently spoke, mentioned the important of giving specific information such as “any pre-existing conditions, prior history of the same illness, or whether you were referred by a pediatrician.”  For instance, mention a history of seizures, diabetes, asthma, or any other pre-existing condition can help the nurse to assign the appropriate degree of treatment. 

Additionally, it may be important to tell the triage nurse if your child is not acting like themselves.  For instance, if your child is sitting and watching the room, when normally they would be bouncing off of the walls, it could make a difference.  Explain what a child's  "baseline" will help to paint a fuller picture, and remember, you are the one that knows what your child is like when they're not in the hospital.

TAGS: parents_ed_primer, triage, navigating_le_bonheur_childrens