In this week’s incredibly honest and profound episode, we sit down with Jeff Loving, a husband, proud NICU dad, and the author of Holding Onto the Light: A Father’s Journey Through Loss and Healing. Jeff shares the deeply personal, often unspoken, side of grief: the...
Episode 175 | Child Life in the Emergency Room (ER)
Podcast Show Notes
Going to the emergency room with your child for any reason is never an occasion you plan on. Today, Sam Kraewic and Jessica Baird, Child Life Specialists working in the Emergency Room empower and equip us on how to be the best advocates when it comes to the Emergency Room. From medical play to normalizing the hospital at home there are many ways parents can plan for the unexpected. Katie, Jessica, and Sam have a great conversation surrounding Child Life in the Emergency Room.
[3:30] Introductions
[3:46] Meet, Jessica
[4:40] Meet, Sam
[6:25] Swabs in the emergency room
[8:15] Medical play for swabs
[10:00] Letting parents know they have a voice
[12:00] Comfort items in the waiting room
[13:34] Triage can be stressful
[14:50] Talking to your child about what you might see
[15:19] Don’t make promises they can’t keep
[18:17] Familiarizing home and hospital
[20:20] Children feed off our emotions
[22:22] Stepping away is ok
[23:10] Mental Health in the Emergency Room
[25:50] Therapeutic games addressing emotions
[27:00] First trusted contact
Connect with Jessica and Sam
Whether you are a parent or professional, we want you to join our community. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Parents, download our free parent starter kit.
When you download our starter kit, you’ll learn how to:
- Give medicine to your child without it becoming a wrestling match
- Prepare your child (and yourself) for a shot so they can feel less anxious
- Create and use a coping plan for any medical appointment or procedure
The first sign of sniffles, or worse, shouldn’t send you into a tailspin. Feel confident in your role as a parent and advocate, no matter what medical situation you’re facing.
Child life specialists, get affordable PDUs on-demand here.
Shop for your CLOC gear here.
You Might Also Like…
Understanding Homocystinuria (HCU): How a mother uncovered her son’s diagnosis- Melanie’s Story
As parents, we rely on routine tests to tell us our children are healthy. For Melanie and her husband, Ryan, in Vancouver, British Columbia, it took a routine eye doctor's appointment to uncover a startling truth about their 12-year-old son, Masen, an energetic hockey...
Autism, Advocacy and the Power of a Medical ID: Tara’s Story
“You don’t have good days and bad days — you have good moments and tough moments. And if you only count the bad ones, you’ll miss all the silver linings.”- Tara Cohen In this deeply moving and empowering conversation, Tara Cohen, Executive Vice President at Lauren’s...