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The Teddy Bear Hospital
The Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) is MSAND’s newest initiative supported by the Social Justice portfolio holder. TBH is a community medicine strategy that assists children become more aware and accustomed to hospitals and medical treatment, while developing the clinical skills of medical students. In a TBH, children who play the role of a parent, bring their teddy bears or other favoured toys to a simulated hospital (in their classroom) for treatment by a Teddy Bear Doctor. These medical students demonstrate the entire process of a medical consultation in a fun, non-threatening environment. TBH comprises of a number of stations including the waiting room, consultation, treatment, activities and a teddy bear picnic. Children move consecutively from one phase to another, simulating a ‘visit to the doctor’.
What are the benefits of a TBH visit?
Children can often feel anxious and intimidated when visiting a doctor or being admitted to hospital. The venue is unknown, there are many strangers and they are full of big, scary, foreign medical equipment. Children also associate past poor experiences, such as getting an immunization needle, with further visits to the doctor or hospital. These factors influence the experience of not only the child, but also their parents and practitioner. Research, which examined 4- to 6-year-old children, indicates that they most often fear interventions and pain, separation from parents, being left alone, the lack of information, and instruments and equipment. Although we cannot hide the reality that hospitalization can be unpleasant, interventions such as a TBH have been shown to decrease stress at the time of hospitalization, and also influence children’s development and well being later in life. Besides being a proven initiative to decrease anxiety towards doctors, TBH provides an environment for children to learn about healthy eating, medical procedures and encourage the use of their imagination.
Who are the Teddy Bear Doctors?
Our Teddy Bear Doctors are first and second year postgraduate medical students of the University of Notre Dame. All students are required to attend a training session involving information on communication with children and the delivery of the program. All Teddy Bear Doctors are required to undergo a Working with Children Check under the Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004. We obtain proof and keep records of these documents. Teddy Bear Doctors are asked to posses their Notre Dame University Student Card (for identification), a current Working with Children Check and Department of Health Criminal Record Screening card during visits to schools. All students of the University of Notre Dame medical program are interviewed and screened before entrance into the course.
How do medical students benefit? TBH provides an opportunity for medical students to interact with preprimary aged children. During our medical education we are provided with little exposure to children, leaving us with little practice for future paediatric patient interaction. The relaxed learning environment of TBH provides students with an opportunity to talk and play with young healthy children. Techniques and principles learnt throughout this program can be applied when treating sick children in the future TBH is also a program that relies on teamwork, commitment, and sound organisational and communication skills. These qualities, which are also important in medical practice, are often better taught through participation rather than academic learning.
Want more information?
TBH invites interest from
Jennifer Melvin, Rikki Warren and Kimberley McDonough Co-Chairs E This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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