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People in strange clothes,
words you don’t understand, and medical equipment you have never seen!
Hospitalization can be frightening for adults; imagine how scary it can
be for children. St. John’s Children’s Hospital employs Child Life
Specialists that focus on the psychosocial needs of pediatric patients
and their families. They help reduce the stress and anxiety associated
with hospitalization by teaching your child about the procedure, through
medical and therapeutic play, and distraction during medical procedures.
Child Life Specialists
primarily work with pediatric in-patients on the Pediatric floor and in
the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Child Life Specialists do,
however, consult to other areas of the hospital, including Pediatric
Out-patient Services
(POPS), the Burn Unit, Radiology, and other units
when referrals are received.
Child Life
Specialists are a resource for patients, their families, and other staff
members on issues such as child development, car seat safety, basic
childcare, grief and bereavement, and the psychosocial effects of
hospitalization.
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