ARMED with stethoscopes and surgical masks, little footsteps this week echoed through the Mount Gambier Hospital corridors as part of a learning activity.
With the paediatric area in the day surgery unit looking “bare and boring”, the Community Kids Montebello Childcare and Early Education Centre children raised money to refurbish the room with colourful ornaments and toys.
Raising $140 through a sustainability project, hospital associate nurse unit manager Lana Trnovsky said the funds would purchase sensory equipment to help children going into surgery stay “cool, calm and collected”.
“We thought we would try and tie it in with the paediatric unit’s larger upgrade, which will happen in the near future,” she said.
“We have incorporated a day tour for some of the kids to show them where their money is going.
“We also thought the tour would help desensitise any scary emotions if they were to ever have day surgery.”
The childcare children meandered through not only the paediatric unit but also the emergency department, radiology and other major parts of the health facility.
Centre assistant director Carolyn Frost said they chose to donate to the hospital because the children were already showing a “keen interest” in doctors, nurses, paramedics and hospital staff careers.
“They love being involved in medical job role playing so we thought this would work well,” Ms Frost said.
“We do have children in this group who had not been to hospital before, so this allows them to know what to expect.
“Before coming in here we also looked over hospital equipment, pictures of the space and what they could possibly expect so they were not overwhelmed.”
Ms Frost said the children identified objects they had seen at home, creating a comfortable connections with the space.
“It helps them spark curiosity as well as develop an interest and understanding of hospital in general,” she said.
Ms Trnovsky said children tested hospital surgical masks, hospital beds along with measuring heart rate and blood pressure.
“You never know we may have inspired some new doctors and nurses,” she said.
Ms Frost said there were future plans for students to revisit the unit once renovations were completed to see the “final product”.
