There’s a party on Ward 9 - Celebrating Play in Healthcare Week
This week our Play team are celebrating Play in Healthcare Week. Play is a vital part of patient care as it can help patients to feel settled in the ward during a challenging time. It can also help patients to understand their care better.
Play in Healthcare Week this year is all about celebrating play and how special it is to our patients and families. Having Play specialists as part of patient care can really help to reassure and give children an understanding of their treatment as well as distracting them in moments of difficulty.
The week is a celebration of play in healthcare settings for children, babies, and young people. It also highlights the work of Play Staff and Health Play Specialists.
Play Workers are a familiar face on the ward that work hard, day in day out with nurses, doctors and other staff to make the dark moments that bit brighter for our patients and families.
Across the wards play colleagues will be celebrating by bracelet making, making slime, play dough, super hero masks, biscuit decorating, as well as their usual programme activities, plus a number of activities patients can collect from Play and Admissions.
Sarah Broadmore, Play Worker on Ward 9 said: “Play workers, Play Specialists, youth workers and facilitators are so important for patients and families.
“Being a Play Worker is the best job in the world. I like to help and support patients and families through their journey at our Children’s hospital. It means a lot to me.
“I like to bring fun to the ward by playing games and activities. This can really help patients to smile again and distract them from what is troubling them.”