How Child Life specialists brighten the hospital experience for kids

From the unfamiliar medical equipment and procedures to the complicated terminology, the hospital can be an intimidating place for a lot of kids and teens. To make the hospital experience easier for both young patients and their families, specialists in the Child Life program can help children not only master the challenging situations associated with illness but also positively cope with their anxiety from treatments.

These specialists do this through every child's favorite activity: play. Play helps a child continue their normal growth and development and eases the stress families experience while their child is in the hospital.

In this week's episode of UK HealthCast, Jennifer Guilliams, Child Life coordinator of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, discusses how her team of 10 Child Life specialists supports young patients so that they can get back to being happy, healthy kids.

Listen below.