In an article published in the New York Post (NYP) and featured on AOL, Jami Egorow, MS, CCLS speaks on child life in hospitals. Jami is the clinical manager for Child Life and Creative Arts Therapies at Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. The following post features her written responses to a sample of questions regarding child life in the NYP article. 

As a child life specialist working with children and families, what’s the most important part of what you do?

One of the best things we can do is reduce the stress that children of all ages, from infants to adolescents, and their families may experience in the hospital. It can be anxiety-provoking to be in a new and unfamiliar place, and we’re specially trained to be there to help kids understand what they’re going through, give them outlets to cope — whether that be art or music — and really help the whole family feel more comfortable and gain more sense of control.

How can play be an important tool to help children understand medical procedures?

Play is the language of children and is universal. Rather than asking them, “Tell me what you are afraid of today,” if we play a game, they can relax enough to be able to play out their feelings. Because treatments and procedures such as blood draws or surgery can be overwhelming, we use a variety of tools and techniques to support children before, during and after a procedure. We use medical play, such as a doll-sized MRI machine, to help kids understand what they might see, hear, feel, smell or taste during a procedure. We help children find ways to relax and feel more comfortable through play and other fun activities.

What can caregivers do to minimize their child’s anxiety around medical visits, or a hospital stay?

Preparation is important because we find that children who know what to expect cope better in the long run. This could look like telling your child ahead of time what to expect from the visit in age-appropriate language with just enough information to address what they may be wondering about, and as a child life specialist, we also do that in the hospital with different teaching tools such as imaginative play, books and videos.

Parents know their children best, and we partner with them to understand what their child may need at that moment. We also make sure that caregivers are getting their needs met, whether that be by taking a 15-minute coffee break or a phone call outside of the room while we spend time with their child. Children read off emotions of caregivers in the room, so we find that reducing the stress of the parent can ultimately help their child.

What does it mean to you personally to be able to help patients and families?

It really is an honor to work with patients and their families. Children are vulnerable when they spend time and are asked to express themselves to somebody new, so to have that connection is powerful. I work closely with medical providers and other members of the interdisciplinary team to make sure every child and family’s voice is at the center of their medical plan. No parent ever wants to imagine their child in the hospital, but child life specialists are available to help support you along that journey in whatever way you need.

Image courtesy of Jami Egorow, MS, CCLS.