When 3-year-old Taylor Grunow came to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center for dental surgery, Pam McLaughlin knew exactly how to calm the toddler’s fears about both the procedure and being in the hospital.
McLaughlin, a certified child life specialist, read through a picture book with Taylor that showed the anxious little girl the various units in the hospital where she would be treated and what to expect when she got to each one. She also gave her a stuffed doll made by local volunteers that Taylor took with her into surgery.
“Taylor’s concern was not knowing what to expect. Research shows that when a child is prepared for a medical procedure, in terms they can understand, it’s much less scary for them and they have better long-term adjustment to medical challenges.” – McLaughlin
The Child Life Program is a unique benefit provided by Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center to help prepare pediatric patients for medical procedures or treatments. The program, which has been in place at the hospital for about 20 years, also offers children coping strategies to help reduce their anxiety and make sure they cooperate with their medical team. Typically, such programs are only offered at large urban medical centers or at specialized children’s hospitals.
“I think it’s amazing that Sierra Vista offers this kind of program. It changes everything in terms of reducing children’s anxiety level. It’s not the easiest thing to get a 3-year-old to sit in a dentist chair. In Taylor’s case, it enabled us to put her under sedation and get everything done in one session at the hospital rather than spacing it out over four or five office visits.” – James Forester, DDS and pediatric dentist who operated on Taylor
In addition to reducing pediatric patients’ anxiety, the program also helps parents cope with the stress of having a child undergo surgery.
“I was very nervous about putting my baby under sedation,” said Trish Mullins, Taylor’s mother. “Pam greeted us when we checked in and she stayed with me all the time while Taylor was in the hospital. I could not believe the comfort she gave me. And Taylor just fell in love with her.”
Child life specialists are required to earn a bachelor’s or a master’s degree with an educational emphasis on human growth and development or a related field of study. They adhere to a code of ethics established by the Child Life Council, a professional organization which also administers the rigorous process for obtaining the Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential. In addition, certified child life specialists must complete a supervised clinical internship, pass an examination and adhere to standards for continuing professional development in order to maintain their certification.
At Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, McLaughlin works with children in the hospital’s six-bed pediatric unit and 22-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as well as with inpatients and outpatients in the emergency room and surgery programs. Sierra Vista houses the only pediatric and neonatal intensive care units in all of San Luis Obispo County.
“Our goal is to promote effective coping through play and art activities and age-appropriate educational materials,” explained McLaughlin, who has a master’s degree in child development from California State University, Los Angeles and serves on the board of the California Association of Child Life Professionals. “By helping them cope, we can help them heal.”