Created by Emi Inoue University of La Verne EDU530M Helping children cope in a medical setting Fall 2005

Hello! I’m Smile Star. What is your name? This book is for you and your family too. Read this book with people who you love and trust. My name is Please write your name. If you don’t know how to write or spell your name, you can ask any adults that you love and trust to help you. Then put you picture or draw your face. You can put your favorite stickers too. You can decorate this page in any ways you want!

I heard you are going to stay in a hospital. How do you feel about staying in a hospital? Can you share your feelings about staying in a hospital? You can write words or sentences, or draw pictures to express your feelings. Just coloring this page to mach your feeling is fine. Scrabbling is also fine. Everybody has different feelings. Express your feelings freely in your own ways!

Do you want to know about a hospital? I have a friend. He can tell you about staying in a hospital. Hi, I’m Mr. Bandage. I have lived in hospitals for a long time. I can tell you about staying hospitals.

Before staying in a hospital, you will have some tests. Have you ever done those tests before? Those tests are important to know about your body. Are you scared to have done those tests, or do you have any questions? It is OK to be scared, and to ask questions. You can talk and ask questions to adults who you love and trust until you are ready. Who is the person you want to talk to and ask questions? I want to talk to and ask questions to (Write the person or people’s names. You can choose as many people as you want.)

Do you know how long, and why will you stay in the hospital? The lengths and the reasons that people stay in hospitals are different. Everyone has different lengths and reasons. Ask your doctor, nurse, or adults who you love and trust about your case. This is important to know that staying in the hospital isn’t your fault or punishment. You will stay in the hospital because you need care that your family cannot give them at home. It is a way to get help.

Do you know when you are going to stay in a hospital? Use this grid to plan your schedule. Month: SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday Put dates in the grid, and write your schedule. You may write your school schedule, and hospital visit schedule. You can also write any other plans, birthdays, parties, family events, and play with your friends, you have in a month. You can ask adults to help you to fill in this grid.

You can bring your favorite things to the hospital. But you cannot bring your pets or favorite plants. Ask nurses whether or not you can bring things on your list. There are some of my suggestions to put on your list: Your favorite stuffed animals, blanket, and your family photos. …write things that you want to bring to the hospital… Pajamas Slippers A toothbrush Of course, you can bring this book with you!

Now, let’s ask Mr. Bandage what will happen when you get to the hospital. When you arrive at the hospital, you may feel it is a very busy and noisy place. You also may feel strange smell. You may see some strange and unique equipment you’ve never seen. Your family does the procedure to stay in the hospital. It is like when you stay in hotels. A nurse will give you a bracelet with your name on it. You must wear the bracelet when you are staying in the hospital. It helps hospital people to know your name because they don’t want to mistake you for other children. You can take the bracelet off when you go home.

The nurse will take you to the room you are going to stay. You may stay the room alone or have your roommates. Your personal space may be smaller than your room. The bed is different from your bed at home, and the bed linen is all white. The hospital is usually bigger than your house. Write and remember where your room is; the floor number, and the room number. You can ask your family or nurse to help to write them. My room is (Write the floor number and the room number here.)

You will meet many people in the hospital. Doctors, nurses, other staff and your roommates or friends who are staying in the hospital like you. You may be asked your name again and again. It may make you tired of answering, but please remember that they really want to know about you. Tell me who you met at the hospital. Let’s write their names, Or you can ask them to write their names in this page. How many names can you collect?

Your food is prepared by the hospital. The menu is fixed. You cannot eat food that your family make or bring during you are in the hospital. You may be able to eat your favorite food when your doctor says “OK.” even though you are in the hospital if you have something you really want to eat. The meal time is scheduled. You will have meals everyday at the same times. You may eat in a room where everybody gathers to eat, like a dining room, or you may eat on your bed. BreakfastLunchDinner Write the meal schedule in the hospital in this chart. You can ask adults to help you to fill it in. Write in numbers in the top grid and draw the hands in the clocks too.

There are some challenges during you are in the hospital. The big one is that your family cannot stay with you in the hospital. It means that your family can visit you, and you can see them, but you have to sleep without your family at nights. How do you feel to sleep without your family? Let’s think about the things that can help you to feel better when your family is not with you. You can do your favorite things, or you can bring things that can make you feel better.

The other challenge is that you cannot see your brothers, sisters, and friends. Only adults can visit your room in the hospital. If you have to stay in the hospital for a long time, you may miss them. Let’s think what you can do or want to do for them when you miss them instead of actually seeing them. If you don’t come up with any idea, there is something that may work for you when you miss them. *To write letters each other. *To make gifts for them. *To exchange your pictures. *To record your message in a tape.

Now, how you feel about staying in the hospital? You may come up with some other questions later on. You can ask questions anytime you want. People are here for you. Well…it is sad to say, but it is time to say good bye for you. It was fun to work with you to know about staying in the hospital. Thank you for sharing your ideas and feelings. Good bye now. I hope you feel a little bit better about staying in the hospital than before, and you are ready to go and to stay in the hospital. As I told you before, I usually live somewhere in the hospital, and I know many people in the hospital. People in the hospital are there to help you. Bye for now, and see you in the hospital! The End