Today is International Day of Play – a time to celebrate the power of play and an opportunity to raise awareness about how important play is to every child’s development and wellbeing.
This year’s theme is “Choose Play – Everyday” – a reminder to us all to embrace and prioritise play.
Health play specialists support young patients across Newcastle Hospitals and this International Day of Play is the perfect opportunity to introduce you to Tracey Gothard, one of our health play specialists at The Great North Children’s Hospital.
Tracey works with young patients on ward 1a at The Great North Children’s Hospital. She shares her thoughts on why her role is so important for children in hospital: “In my role as a health play specialist I work with babies, children and young people of all ages. This includes:
- Organising play activities for children and young people in the play room or at their beside.
- Providing play to help achieve their developmental, social, emotional and cognitive skills.
- Help children and young people deal with anxiety and fear in hospital by using therapeutic play to prepare them for any medical procedures.
- Supporting children and young people regain their skills lost through the effects of illness or hospitalisation.
- Supporting families and siblings while in hospital.
- Contributing to clinical judgements through documentation and observations.
- Collaborating with other healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses and therapists, to provide a holistic approach to childcare and by integrating play into their overall care plan.
- Working with a variety organisations to help provide toys, equipment and essentials for our babies, children and young people on the ward.
My role as a health play specialist is important, as we use play as a therapeutic tool to help our children and young people cope with stress, provide distraction and desensitisation techniques, and create a safe and engaging environment reducing anxiety and improving the overall healthcare for children, young people and their families.
“Play is crucial for our young patients, and the power of play is important to our children and young people at The Great North Children’s Hospital, as it enhances their wellbeing. It lets them explore their feelings, express themselves, help process difficult experiences, helps them learn and cope with their illness in a positive way but most importantly, play can be fun in hospital.”
Find out more about how we work with teams across Newcastle Hospitals to support patients, staff and the wider hospital communities.
