1. Playroom Keys
Playroom keys can be found in the Volunteer Services Office. Be sure to return them at the end of your shift.
Lock the cabinets to ensure safety. A cabinet key is always left in the lock of top cabinet near door.
If you accidentally take the keys home, please call in and return the keys as soon as possible.
If the key is missing, please check to see if another volunteer has it in the playroom. If not, notify Volunteer Services. You may borrow the key from the 2W/3W/5W nurses’ station.

2. Playroom Keys

3. Invitation to Visit Playroom/Activity Room
Use your patient list (census) to invite patients to playroom.
Knock on the patient’s door, pause and listen for response before entering.
If there is no response, knock again, open the door slightly, and request permission to enter.
Remain at the door and introduce yourself “Hi my name is ___, I am a volunteer in the playroom. Would you like a toy or craft activity? The playroom/activity room will be open at ___ ( or in ___ minutes) if you would like to visit.

4. Address the patient by his/her first name. Speak clearly and smile
Address the patient by his/her first name. Speak clearly and smile. Patients are often nervous and scared by the number of strangers who have entered their room. Once they know you are from the playroom, they will usually be more relaxed and happy to see you.
Re-visit rooms if the patient was not there or sleeping to see if they need anything or to invite them to the playroom.
Remember to accompany young patients to the playroom if they do not have a parent present.

5. If you do not have other patients who want to go to the playroom, you may choose to visit a patient at bedside and play a game or do a craft activity.
Remember: patients on isolation and their siblings may not go to the playroom. Offer to bring games, toys, or crafts to their room.
Your census will indicate isolation status as well as pink/yellow sign on patient’s door. Refer to both.
Volunteers are never required to visit in the room of a patient on isolation. If you choose to do so, be sure to put on appropriate PPE (gown, gloves, mask) before the visit. These should be removed and discarded before leaving the patient’s room.

6. Behavior Expectations
We expect patients, families, staff and volunteers to be respectful to each other at all times.
What to do if a patient/visitor misbehaves
Inform the patient the behavior is not appropriate in this setting
Ask the patient to stop the behavior, model appropriate behavior when necessary
If patient continues, give second warning

7. Notify Volunteer services and Child life.
If patient still continues, you may ask him/her to leave the playroom. Follow up with patient’s parent and the nurse to inform them of the behavior
Notify Volunteer services and Child life.
If at any time you feel threatened or unsafe, you may lock the playroom door and call security at X
Incidents should be reported to both Child Life and the Volunteer Services coordinator at the end of your shift. Night time volunteers may either leave voic or written report of the incident in Volunteer Services.

8. Infection Control
The CL Volunteer is an important part of the team to help prevent hospital acquired infections through hand washing and toy cleaning.
Hand Washing
Wash your hands with soap and water BEFORE and AFTER each play session. Wash thoroughly for 15 seconds.
Use sanitizing foam to clean hands between each patient contact and before and after leaving each patient room.

9. Infection Control CONT.
Remind everyone who enters the playroom to cleanse their hands with sanitizing foam. Patients who have an IV in their hands may not be able to do so.
Point to the foam dispenser and request that each person use the foam upon entering the playroom.
Hands that are visibly dirty should be washed with soap and water.

10. Hand Sanitizing Foam

11. Reminder for patients and visitors

12. Volunteer Binder for Playroom

13. Playroom Binder Contents blank forms and originals for making copies
DVD/CD Sign-out sheets
Important phone numbers list
Visitor Policy for Playrooms
TCH Child Life Policy and Procedures

14. Ending a Session in the Playroom
Announce to patients that the playroom will be closing in 5 to 10 minutes. This will prepare them for the closing. Allow an additional minutes before the end of your shift to clean toys and restore order to the playroom.
Be sure to escort any young patients back to their rooms.
Clean toys and table tops.
Complete the Safety/Cleanliness Procedure Checklist on back of Activity Log.
Staple together your activity log, patient census and sibling screenings. Place inside the clear wallet file.
Lock the door and be sure to return the key to Volunteer Services.

15. Wallet file for Completed Activity Logs

16. Toy Cleaning
Toy cleaning is a two-step process.
Step 1: All toys will be cleaned with 70% alcohol.
Step 2: After allowing the alcohol to evaporate, all toys will be rinsed with water and allowed to dry.

17. Toy Cleaning: Step 1 Toys are cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Clean towels are located in the linen closets in the hallway.
Toys are cleaned on the counter by the window.
Clean all dirty toys between patient use. Place dirty toys on a towel, spray toys directly with alcohol, let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe dry if necessary. Board games and cards need to be cleaned one by one by spraying alcohol on towel and wiping individually.
If the toy is visibly dirty (food, dirt, etc.) wash with soap and water. If it is a board game or cards, throw it away.

18. Toy Cleaning: Step 2
When alcohol has evaporated, spray the toy with water and allow to air dry or dry with a clean towel. You may wet a hand towel with water to wipe the toy instead of spraying with water.
Cleaning of Large Toys: Toys that cannot be moved to the window sill for cleaning, i.e. the toy kitchen, should be sprayed with alcohol, allowed to dry, and then wiped down with a towel wet with water.

19. Toy Cleaning Cont.
Clean toys should be returned to the shelf or other location in playroom.
Toys left on the counter are assumed to be dirty unless the orange sign is displayed that indicates toys have been cleaned and left to dry.
All toys used by patients during a playroom session must be cleaned.
Be sure to check the dirty toy bin in the Soiled Utility closet for toys that have been gathered from patient rooms. These should be cleaned during your session.
Deposit used towels on the metal rack in the Soiled Utility closet down the hall.

20. Toy cleaning cont.
On 5 West, dirty toys collected from patient rooms by Environmental Services will be in plastic bags and left in front of the counter in the playroom instead of in the Soiled Utility closet. Dirty high chairs, swings, etc. and riding toys will be placed in front of the counter as well.
Volunteers should remove seat covers from dirty infant swings, bouncers, and high chairs and leave them in the dirty toy bin in the playroom. They will be laundered by the Child Life staff.
The frames to the infant swings and bouncers and the high chairs should be cleaned by spraying with alcohol, allowing it to dry, and then spraying with water or wiping with a wet cloth to rinse.

21. Toys and Toy organization
Many toys come in sets such as Mr. Potato Head, tea sets, Mega blocks, trains, etc. We try to keep these organized in boxes and coded as sets. Please attempt to return items to their sets during the cleaning process.
Please be aware that some toys and tubs are labeled that they are to remain in the playroom and not be distributed to patients (i.e. kitchen dishes and play food). Most of these items are also contained in smaller boxed sets which can go to a patient’s room. Remote control cars should not go to patient rooms.
When patients want to play with items like “Little People” and Matchbox cars, please give them 2 or 3 items. Do not give them the entire tub.

22. Toys that come in sets should remain as a set

23. Toys that come in sets should remain as a set

24. Toys are cleaned on the counter with alcohol and rinsed with water