The role of hospital clowns is to bring a smile to the facess of pediatric patients. It reduces stress and tension in patients’ minds, suffering from serious ailments.
What are hospital clowns?
Hospital clowns are trained professionals, who use acts of comedy, magic, puppetry, and music to bring laughter, and ease stress levels for the physical and mental well-being of patients and caretakers. Hospital clowns play their role by bringing a sense of positive hope to critically ill pediatric patients admitted to hospitals. They are also called “Medical Clowns,” “Therapeutic Clowns,” and sometimes “Medical Doctors.”
Care taken by clowns is called hospital clowning. It is a program in the health care system. Being adopted in many countries. It involves visits to hospitals by specially trained professional clowns.
What hospital clowns do?
According to a study published in the European Journal of pediatrics, hospital clowns play the role of aiming to reduce stress, fear, helplessness, and sadness in hospitalized pediatric patients. These visit hospitals have been shown to help in lifting patients’ moods with a positive power of hope and humor. With an associated positive benefit to the staff and family members. They tend to lighten the gloomy atmosphere of hospitals.
It is ascertained that a serious illness should not deny any child his basic right to play. And hospital clowns fulfill the requirement by giving laughter to hospitalized pediatric patients.
Benefits.
Hospital clowning affects pediatric patients at various levels. At the psychological level, laughter causes the release of endorphins, which activates the immune system and helps recovery from illness. Positive feelings created by acts of physical comedy, tend to create a positive impact at an emotional level. and helps in distracting the patient and family member’s attention from the immediate serious situation being faced.
Studies have shown that there is a reduction in stress and anxiety levels. Relief of pain and overall positive impact on patient health due to the presence of hospital clowns.
Pediatricians from the hospitals, where medical clowns are used are of the opinion, that small acts of comic relief change the environment from gloomy to lively.
More and more hospitals are adopting the use of medical clowns to bring a positive response to the health of pediatric patients.
Wishing all to be in a healthy state.
For awareness purposes only.
Surinder Bhalla
Blogger & Marketing consultant
40+ Years of experience in the healthcare industry. Modern medicine & Ayurveda
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