Are you ready to stay in a hospital?

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Are you ready to stay in a hospital?
Created by Emi Inoue University of La
Verne EDU530M Helping children cope in a medical
setting Fall 2005
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Hello! Im Smile Star. What is your name? This
book is for you and your family too. Read this
book with people who you love and trust.
My name is

Please write your name. If you dont know how to
write or spell your name, you can ask any adults
that you love and trust to help you. Then put you
picture or draw your face. You can put your
favorite stickers too. You can decorate this page
in any ways you want!
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I heard you are going to stay in a hospital. How
do you feel about staying in a hospital?
Can you share your feelings about staying in a
hospital? You can write words or sentences, or
draw pictures to express your feelings. Just
coloring this page to mach your feeling is fine.
Scrabbling is also fine. Everybody has different
feelings. Express your feelings freely in your
own ways!
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Do you want to know about a hospital? I have a
friend. He can tell you about staying in a
hospital.
Hi, Im Mr. Bandage. I have lived in hospitals
for a long time. I can tell you about staying
hospitals.
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Before staying in a hospital, you will have some
tests. Have you ever done those tests
before? Those tests are important to know about
your body.
Are you scared to have done those tests, or do
you have any questions? It is OK to be scared,
and to ask questions. You can talk and ask
questions to adults who you love and trust until
you are ready. Who is the person you want to
talk to and ask questions?
I want to talk to and ask questions to (Write the
person or peoples names. You can choose as many
people as you want.)
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Do you know how long, and why will you stay in
the hospital?
The lengths and the reasons that people stay in
hospitals are different. Everyone has different
lengths and reasons. Ask your doctor, nurse, or
adults who you love and trust about your case.
This is important to know that staying in the
hospital isnt your fault or punishment. You will
stay in the hospital because you need care that
your family cannot give them at home. It is a way
to get help.
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Do you know when you are going to stay in a
hospital? Use this grid to plan your schedule.
Month
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday




Put dates in the grid, and write your schedule.
You may write your school schedule, and hospital
visit schedule. You can also write any other
plans, birthdays, parties, family events, and
play with your friends, you have in a month. You
can ask adults to help you to fill in this grid.
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You can bring your favorite things to the
hospital. But you cannot bring your pets or
favorite plants. Ask nurses whether or not you
can bring things on your list. There are some of
my suggestions to put on your list Your favorite
stuffed animals, blanket, and your family photos.
write things that you want to bring to the
hospital Pajamas Slippers A toothbrush
Of course, you can bring this book with you!
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Now, lets ask Mr. Bandage what will happen when
you get to the hospital.
When you arrive at the hospital, you may feel it
is a very busy and noisy place. You also may feel
strange smell. You may see some strange and
unique equipment youve never seen. Your family
does the procedure to stay in the hospital. It is
like when you stay in hotels. A nurse will give
you a bracelet with your name on it. You must
wear the bracelet when you are staying in the
hospital. It helps hospital people to know your
name because they dont want to mistake you for
other children. You can take the bracelet off
when you go home.
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The nurse will take you to the room you are going
to stay. You may stay the room alone or have your
roommates. Your personal space may be smaller
than your room. The bed is different from your
bed at home, and the bed linen is all white.
The hospital is usually bigger than your
house. Write and remember where your room is the
floor number, and the room number. You can ask
your family or nurse to help to write them.
My room is (Write the floor number and the room
number here.)
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You will meet many people in the
hospital. Doctors, nurses, other staff and your
roommates or friends who are staying in the
hospital like you. You may be asked your name
again and again. It may make you tired of
answering, but please remember that they really
want to know about you.
Tell me who you met at the hospital. Lets write
their names, Or you can ask them to write their
names in this page. How many names can you
collect?
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Your food is prepared by the hospital. The menu
is fixed. You cannot eat food that your family
make or bring during you are in the hospital. You
may be able to eat your favorite food when your
doctor says OK. even though you are in the
hospital if you have something you really want
to eat. The meal time is scheduled. You will
have meals everyday at the same times. You may
eat in a room where everybody gathers to eat,
like a dining room, or you may eat on your bed.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner


Write the meal schedule in the hospital in this
chart. You can ask adults to help you to fill it
in. Write in numbers in the top grid and draw the
hands in the clocks too.
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There are some challenges during you are in the
hospital. The big one is that your family cannot
stay with you in the hospital. It means that your
family can visit you, and you can see them, but
you have to sleep without your family at nights.
How do you feel to sleep without your
family? Lets think about the things that can
help you to feel better when your family is not
with you. You can do your favorite things, or
you can bring things that can make you feel
better.
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The other challenge is that you cannot see your
brothers, sisters, and friends. Only adults can
visit your room in the hospital.
If you have to stay in the hospital for a long
time, you may miss them. Lets think what you can
do or want to do for them when you miss them
instead of actually seeing them.
If you dont come up with any idea, there is
something that may work for you when you miss
them. To write letters each other. To make
gifts for them. To exchange your pictures.
To record your message in a tape.
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Now, how you feel about staying in the
hospital? You may come up with some other
questions later on. You can ask questions anytime
you want. People are here for you. Wellit is sad
to say, but it is time to say good bye for
you. It was fun to work with you to know about
staying in the hospital. Thank you for sharing
your ideas and feelings. Good bye now.
The End
I hope you feel a little bit better about staying
in the hospital than before, and you are ready to
go and to stay in the hospital. As I told you
before, I usually live somewhere in the hospital,
and I know many people in the hospital. People
in the hospital are there to help you. Bye for
now, and see you in the hospital!