My trip to hospital - DVD

Queensland Health, Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital

Nic, 8 years old, was recently admitted to hospital after an accident. Nic watched My trip to hospital DVD at home shortly after the hospital visit to Emergency in a Sydney hospital. His older sister was with him in the Emergency waiting room and also watched the DVD…

They had different parts about going to hospital that most kids would not know. Probably they would only know about tongues, ears and temperatures and scales. Probably they need to show a little bit more about cuts, twisted ankles and broken bones since most accidents happen that way. I thought it was funny when they sang about radiology and you got to know all about hospital equipment.

Nic’s sister (aged 13 years) 

The DVD was good, they looked at the ward and I think one of the things worth knowing about was the rollout bed where your parents could stay. It was comforting to know that your parents could sleep there. They showed you hospital equipment and told you the needles were only going to hurt for a short time, the pain would be over and done with. Another thing was they told you about waiting and what your parents would be doing, ‘more paper work’. You are prepared because you know what to bring, pyjamas and a book. The playroom is great because hospital is not just about going and staying in a bed doing nothing, there are other things to do besides just sitting there. You could ask the nurse to go to the play area with you and you can be with your siblings and be with other children in your age group.

My trip to hospital DVD and books can be borrowed from the AWCH library. Visit Queensland Health, Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital for the My trip to hospital program.  Find useful information about preparing your child for hospital, written for children, young people, parents and families. Importantly, there are some general tips about when to tell your child and what to tell them about going to hospital.

Other preparation includes medical play with stuffed animals and toys, reading books and helping to pack the hospital bag.

Jillian Rattray

AWCH librarian

http://Library.awch.org.au

May 2015