Once the majority of the patients had been seen during the day, Naudia stepped out of the office for about an hour in order to interview prospective nurse practitioners who are looking to secure a job at Le Bonheur. While Naudia was away, a Child Life Specialist came down to the office to talk to me about her role in Child Life at Le Bonheur. She explained to me that her job is to help the children feel more comfortable during their stay at Le Bonheur and to ease their fears and anxieties about staying in a hospital. She also explained to me some of the ways they help ease these fears: letting the children see the medical equipment, giving them a tour around the hospital and the O.R., playing doctor with stuffed animals, and many others. While she was talking to me about her job, two twin boys happened to be getting a tour of the pre-op area by a Child Life Specialist, and the specialist showed the boys how the thermometer works and how the blood pressure cuff goes around their arm. In order to help ease the boys' anxieties about the blood pressure cuff, the specialist placed it around a teddy bear's arm to show the boys that the cuff is nothing to be afraid of. It was so sweet to see their interactions, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the incredible ways Child Life at Le Bonheur helps the children feel more comfortable during their stay. Once Naudia came back from her interview, she guided me to Bunny Lane, which is a lane filled with toys where patients can come and pick out a toy before their surgery. There are toys ranging from baby toys all the way to items for teenagers. Before I left for the day, we saw one more patient that was staying on the twelfth floor, and after Naudia assessed him, I headed out for the day at about 4:40 pm.
|
AuthorMy name is Caroline Rogers, and I am a current rising senior at Hutchison School. This blog is dedicated to my summer internship through Hutchison Leads at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN. Because of my passion and interest for all things medicine, I decided to explore the field of nursing with Family Nurse Practitioner Naudia James who works with the Anesthesiology Department at the hospital. I aspire to attend nursing school as a college student, and I am thrilled to begin studying medicine and exploring a topic that interests me greatly. |