PLAY IS GOOD MEDICINE:
FOSTERING TE WHĀRIKI WITHIN
A HEALTH CARE SETTING
Joan Livingstone, Robyn Riley & Karen Parker
Hospital Play Specialists
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Hospital-based services are
teacher-led education and care
services that provide education
and care to children under the
age of six who are receiving
health services within premises
under the control of the
Ministry of Health.
At Whangarei Hospital Play
and Recreation we have 5 Play
Specialists.
1 FTE, 2PTE and 2 Relievers
All are Qualified ECE teachers
What is the role
of a Hospital
Play Specialist?
Supervising
the Licenced
ECE
Activity
room
Offering
Distraction
during
Medical
Procedures
Providing
Preparation to
Children for
Medical
Procedures
ABSTRACT
Empowerment,
Relationships,
Holistic Development,
Family and Community.
Four guiding principles for children and their
families/whanau : even more so when you are a child in
hospital.
We will show you how we as Hospital Play Specialists use
and promote Te Whāriki as our curriculum within a
hospital environment.
RELATIONSHIPS – NGĀ HONONGA
CHILDREN LEARN
THROUGH
RESPONSIVE AND
RECIPROCAL
RELATIONSHIPS.
Gaining
confidence
with nurses.
Building trust with the
Hospital Play
Specialists
With doctors,
encouraged to
partake in on-going
treatments.
HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT- KOTAHITANGA
FAMILY
AND
COMMUNITY- WHĀNAU TANGATA
EMPOWERMENT - WHAKAMANA
BELONGING- MANA WHENUA
PETRA
AND HER WHANAU EXPERIENCE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE
CONNECTING LINKS WITH HER FAMILY AND THE WIDER WORLD
ARE AFFIRMED AND EXTENDED.
Petra’s Chicken
Happy 2nd Birthday Petra!
2nd June 2015
This morning I thought I would show Petra the
playroom’s new singing Chicken.
When I took it in to show you Petra, your Dad told
me “We’ve got some chickens and ducks at home
now.”
Petra you got really excited with the singing
chicken, as it laid eggs.
Dad showed me a photo of your chicken’s and ducks
at home, and the very big chicken house that dad
has built for them.
After your port had been accessed,
Nurse Trish gave you some of the
Tweezers and the cotton balls that were
left over from your port dressing pack.
When I came back in to see you a little
bit later, this is what I saw.
“Cleaning Eyes” you said as you held the
cotton ball with the tweezers wiping the
chicken’s eyes.
I can just imagine how well you will look
after your chickens and ducks at home
Petra!
Te Whāriki: Belonging
Children and their families experience an environment where connecting links with the
family and the wider world are affirmed and extended.
Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear
Petra happy birthday to you!
Yesterday was
Petra’s Birthday, so
when Petra came
for her Infusion we
had a birthday
present for you. It
was a Puppy in a
handbag and a
Colouring book with
some felts.
PETRA DEVELOPS HER SENSE OF SELFWORTH AND IDENTITY
Petra Kemara
Patient
Children’s Ward
Whangarei Hospital
Empowerment
Whakamana
WELL- BEING- MANA ATUA
PETRA’S EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
Petra’s Check-up
IS NURTURED
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6th July 2016
Today, Petra spent quite a lot of
time playing with medical play.
She came looking for the doctor’s
bag, “Where’s the Check-up?”
Petra said as approached the
area in the playroom where the
medical play is.
Petra pulled out the
Stethoscope, the look of concentration on your face
and the way you looked at your patient (doll) when
you were listening with the
stethoscope shows me how
comfortable and familiar you are
with having these done regularly to
you.
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It was the doll’s leg that you identified as the injury,
“we fix it” you said as you got the
plaster to put on the doll’s leg.
You also made sure that the doll’s eyes
had a check-up too. Petra, it’s lovely
to see you have an opportunity to
explore and play with some of the
medical equipment that you come across throughout
your own treatment.
Te Whāriki- Well- Being: Children experience an
environment where; their health is promoted, their emotional
wellbeing is nurtured, and they are kept safe from harm.
Today, we also had
some Guinea pigs in
the playroom; here is a
photo that you (Petra)
took of your mum
holding one of the
Guinea Pigs.
Karen
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Programmes assist children
to understand the reason for
admission and /or treatment.
Activities are provided to
assist children in managing
procedures and /or complying
with treatment.
Pre-procedural and postprocedural play opportunities
are made available.
INCORPORATING
THE
PRINCIPLES
OF
TE WHĀRIKI –
RELATIONSHIPS (NGĀ HONONGA), EMPOWERMENT
(WHAKAAMANA), HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT (KOTAHITANGA)
Pet Therapy- Kambi and Hannelise
visiting the Ward 2’s Hospital Playroom
Pet Therapy with Kambi
Shirley, one of our wonderful volunteers has shared
some tadpoles with us from her creek at home.
Today some of the tadpoles have back legs so they
are already growing fast.
Let’s watch these little fellas as they grow and turn
into Frogs.
4th December- we need to find these guys some more food they have nearly eaten the
entire weed in the water. I wonder how long before they grow their front legs?
EXPLORATION- MANA AOTŪROA
27th November 2013
The Playroom
offers an
environment
where Tamariki
develop working
theories for
making sense of
the natural world.
Tadpoles,
Fish ,
Rabbits,
Guinea Pigs,
Pet Therapy