Hospital Specialists Help Children Cope When Siblings Are Sick

by Joan Hennessy, Contributing Writer, Health Behavior News Service

In many children’s hospitals, there is someone like Jaime Bruce who can boil down complicated doctor-speak into simple words that children understand.

Along with helping young patients, Bruce — a child life specialist in the pediatric critical care unit of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt — can provide information to help calm a sibling’s fears.

Although few in the public are familiar with the efforts of child life specialists, a new study finds that their work is effective.

Siblings who receive educational information about a hospitalized brother or sister have lower stress levels than those not offered the information, according to the study in the October issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

“I think hospitals have come a long way in recognizing the needs of siblings,” said lead author Barbara Gursky, director of the child life program at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Brunswick, N.J. “Once upon a time, siblings were not taken into account.”

In the study, Gursky identified fifty children, ages 6 to 17 years, whose siblings were in the hospital for more than two days.

Sessions lasted 25 to 35 minutes. Half of the siblings received one-on-one teaching sessions conducted by child life specialists, who tailored sessions to each child’s developmental level. For example, the specialists did not address the “whys” of hospital equipment with preschool children, Gursky wrote. Instead, sessions emphasized that illness was not anybody’s fault.

Adolescent-aged children heard more of an explanation of the medical apparatus. Teenagers received “detailed and accurate medical information,” the study said. Using a test with questions aimed at measuring anxiety, researchers determined that siblings given the intervention had lower

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Children’s books about going to the hospital

by Rhonda DeBough

Talking to your child and his/her siblings about a hospitalization can be tricky depending on how comfortable you are, and even more so, where your child(ren) is developmentally . Children’s books can be tremendously helpful in starting conversations, passing along information and lowering fear and anxiety. I went to Amazon.com (which the tightwad in me loves for the used books!) and found some that spiked my interest.

Going to the Hospital

by Fred Rogers, aka Mister Rogers

A review: "This book is awesome! My three-year-old daughter LOVES it! It's very easy for her to understand, and the pictures of real kids having routine hospital things done to them are very helpful."

"She had a 'surprise' surgery to remove a brain tumor two months ago and wasn't prepared for the hospital experience. When we found out she had to have another surgery, we immediately bought this book and read it three or four times a day for two weeks before her surgery. It has proven to be invaluable! Way to go, Mister Rogers!"

Franklin Goes to the Hospital

by Paulette Bourgeois

A Review: "As a children's librarian, this is the best book I've found so far for children that explains what a trip to the hospital is like. All of the details are there, right down to the rails on the hospital bed and the IV stand. I highly reccommend this book to any child who's nervous about a stay in the hospital."

When Molly was in the Hospital

by Debbie Duncan

A Review: "I'm 11 years old, and when my sister was in the hospital my mom bought me this book. It was like reading my own story in a real book! Like Anna, the main character, I felt sad, jealous, worried, and even angry at my sister. This book helped me to understand that other kids felt the same way. I also enjoyed the happy ending!"

Do I have to go to the Hospital?

by Pat Thomas

Henry Goes for Surgery

by Renita De Chellis

"I think this book does a wonderful job in explaining the hospital process to children who need to be there. Surgery is scary for a child and I think this gives some helpful insight."

These are just a few books that I found online with a few clicks. There are many helpful books on the subject. If you’re not a internettie, try the local bookstore, the library or ask your service coordinator.

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