It is just over 20 years since the first hospital clown stuck out his red nose in a Danish hospital. And since then it has only gone forward. Especially in North Jutland, where in 2016 Helle Nygård Kristensen got the idea to scientifically investigate what it was that the hospital clowns could actually do.
Something that makes being a child in a hospital a little easier.
Photo: Bo Lehm
Helle wanted to prove the clowns’ worth
At the time, Helle Nygård Kristensen was the head nurse at the children’s ward at Aalborg University Hospital, and she had seen how the red noses made a difference when a child had to be poked or through other tedious examinations.
There was just no research to back it up.
– It’s not just giggles and pranks when the hospital clowns let loose. It’s about making a difference for a child who is having a hard time – and that’s very beautiful, Michael Haunstrup and Helle Nygård Kristensen assert. Photo: Bo Lehm
And she wanted to focus on that.
It turned into a long leave of absence, which ended with Helle Kristensen defending a PhD thesis in 2019, which documented that it was a really good idea to invite a hospital clown along when a child had to go through some unpleasant examination .
To divert attention from the needle, the scanner or just the doctor, who had to feel exactly where it hurt.
Because it turned out that the studies went noticeably better for both the child and the environment if there was a clown present – a clown who softened a tense situation with a bit of silliness or a hug and a bit of care in a different way than father and mother and the staff could do it.
– I also found a very strong “We” in my research. Understood to mean that there is strength in not being alone. That it is neither the child nor the hospital clown that makes a situation easier, but that it is something they do together, says Helle Nygård Kristensen.
Clowns on the school timetable
Today, Helle Nygård Kristensen is head of education at the nursing program at UCN Nordjylland. And that has affected the education.
The hospital clowns in short form
Danish Hospital Clowns have existed for 21 years.
Danske Hospitalklovne currently employs 69 trained hospital clowns. The association has 14 apprentices in training to become hospital clowns. It takes 1.5 years to train as a hospital clown.
Danish Hospital Clowns are present in all of the country’s 21 children’s wards and in 26 child and youth psychiatric units, special schools, relief institutions and residential homes. There are also hospital clowns at the country’s two children’s hospices.
Danske Hospitalklovne exists exclusively thanks to donations from individuals, companies and foundations
The MR Scanner project
The MR SCANNER project is a collaboration between Danish Hospital Clowns and radiographers at Aalborg University Hospital.
The project aims to investigate how a hospital clown can help children to avoid the use of anesthesia during scans.
14 out of 16 children completed the MRI scan with the help of a hospital clown.
Danish Hospital Clowns is working to spread the project to other hospitals around the country.
Source: Danish Hospital Clowns
Today, there are hospital clowns on the school syllabus when future nurses are training. Here they can choose the subject “Children and families”, where Helle Nygård Kristensen and the hospital clown Theodor teach.
Since she defended her PhD, Helle Nygård Kristensen has generally experienced great interest in the subject, and she has been around the country several times to give lectures to health professionals about the special features that characterize the work of hospital clowns.
Support from the white coats
The great interest can be felt by the hospital clown Theodor, whose name is Michael Haunstrup without the red nose. He was involved as an “experimental clown” throughout the work with Helle Nygård Kristensen’s Ph.d.
– The prerequisite for me to function as a clown in a children’s department is that the staff backs me up. And I’ve never felt anything different, regardless of where I come from – and that’s because it works, says Michael Haunstrup, who works in both Aalborg and Aarhus.
And he is also quite satisfied with the fact that the hospital clowns are financially independent of the health service’s budgets and savings.
– If that wasn’t the case, we would probably be the first to be saved, he says.
Photo: Bo Lehm
Michael Haunstrup has been a hospital clown for 13 years, and has a background such as cabinet maker, goat milker, parcel postman and clown in Cirkus Mongo. But as a hospital clown, he has found his right niche.
Although it was hard in the beginning.
– It’s beautiful to be a clown
As a newly qualified hospital clown, Michael Haunstup often had to drive to the side when he was on his way to work.
– I thought about the children I was going to see… some of them were terminally ill. And then I got there with a red nose and led myself forward. I had a hard time convincing myself that I had anything to offer, he recalls.
But the confidence came as he found that children, parents and staff were actually looking forward to him coming. And as he found out that he actually made a difference to the children in particular.
– When I enter a living room, I am usually not prepared for what awaits – and I like that. Then I quickly scan the room and address the child based on what I immediately see – whether the child is safe or unsafe, whether father and mother are there and whether there is a sibling who can possibly be involved, says Michael Haunstrup.
And regardless of what else happens in the living room, one thing is absolutely certain. The mood changes and always for the better.
– Being a hospital clown is not just jokes and clinical research. It’s about helping a child who needs it… and it’s enormously beautiful, he says.
Photo: Bo Lehm
And then there is the professional distance that both the red noses and the healthcare workers must and must have.
– It is not good to be prone to tears when working with sick children. And even though I am often in very difficult situations, I am fully aware that there is something that is theirs and something that is mine. And that those things should not be mixed together, he says.
Fewer people under anesthesia during MRI scans
Recently, Michael Haunstrup has participated in a project where the purpose has been to investigate whether it was possible to put fewer children who are to be examined in an MR scanner under full anesthesia, which has otherwise been standard procedure. Especially when it comes to smaller children.
With great success.
When Michael Haunstrup started as a hospital clown, he spent a lot of energy convincing himself that he had something to offer … but quietly he could feel that he made a huge difference to many children in difficult situations . Photo: Bo Lehm
– It has been about the fact that I have held some meetings with e.g. the radiographers about how the examinations are now being carried out and what I thought about it, says Michael Haunstrup, who has come up with several pieces of advice.
The meetings have resulted in more focus on play, involvement and communication at child level, from the time the children are called in for a scan until they step out of the hospital door. And how the importance of spending time with the children has filled a lot.
– A lot of what we hospital clowns do is about spending a little more time on a child than you normally do in the healthcare system. And yes, this sort of thing needs to be prioritized and also costs a bit of money, but it is a really good investment that often ends up paying off both financially and in terms of security. Because the investigations go more smoothly and may not have to be abandoned and tried at another time, he says.
According to Michael Haunstrup, it is also about being aware of how a waiting room, a hospital room and an examination room are arranged.
– A cold, clinical and efficient environment is fine enough, but if you are already insecure as a child, it will not get better in such an environment. You might want to think about how, for example, the examination rooms are furnished, says Michael Haunstrup about some of the advice that the radiologists in Aalborg have welcomed.
– Out of 16 children, who would otherwise all have been put under general anesthesia during the scan, after spending more time talking and preparing the child in a more pleasant environment, 14 of them could have been avoided under anesthesia. And that’s good both for the children, because it’s always risky to be put under anesthesia and good for the hospital, which saves money, he says.
Be careful what you say
Michael Haunstrup has also established that the manner in which the children are spoken to is very important.
If a radiologist e.g. tells a child that the examination does not take that long, that it does not hurt and that there is nothing to be afraid of, it is obviously done in the best sense.
Naja and her mother, Louise Scheel Jensen, are happy with the hospital clowns when they come and lift the atmosphere in a living room – both her own, Naja’s and the staff’s. And that can be useful when a 9-year-old is going through chemotherapy. Photo: Bo Lehm
But it just won’t do, especially if the radiologist is busy.
– The child clearly senses that the investigation should ideally start as soon as possible – and he only hears the words time, hurt and scared. In general, it is simply too little time when a child needs to be examined, he says.
This – it makes perfect sense
When Helle Nygård Kristensen and Michael Haunstrup talk about hospital clowns, there is one thing in particular they agree on.
Namely that the clowning makes very good sense on all parameters – which Naja’s huge smile confirms when Theodor with the red nose returns after a chat with the journalist to continue playing.
2024-11-22 16:37:00
#Cancerstricken #Naja #loves #Theodors #antics #lifts #mood #dreary
What role do hospital clowns play in improving the healthcare experience for children and their families?
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When it comes to communicating with children, every word matters, says Michael Haunstrup, who emphasizes the need for careful language to ensure children feel safe. Photo: Bo Lehm
However, if children interpret these reassurances as misleading or insincere, it can lead to increased anxiety.
– It’s about striking the right balance and being honest without overwhelming them, he notes. Instead of downplaying the experience, it’s often better to prepare them for what to expect in a way that respects their feelings.
This approach helps reduce the fear and anxiety often associated with medical procedures, making the experience less traumatic for the children involved.
Conclusion
The work of hospital clowns like Michael Haunstrup is invaluable in creating a more compassionate and effective healthcare environment for children. By fostering play, communication, and a supportive atmosphere, they can make a significant difference in healthcare experiences, potentially improving outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers.
Through his initiatives to reduce the need for anesthesia and improve communication practices, Haunstrup demonstrates the profound impact of thoughtful engagement with young patients. His insights serve as a reminder that healthcare goes beyond clinical procedures—it’s fundamentally about the connections we build and how we care for one another.