Today, Owensboro Health and Brescia University announced an exciting partnership at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Rooster Booster Breakfast. The two organizations are collaborating on a first-of-its-kind workforce development program to train healthcare workers in managing pediatric patients based on the most effective therapy tools and the Adlerian Play Therapy principle.
The goal of the cooperative project is to reduce the stress and anxiety children and families experience in a healthcare setting, particularly in the emergency department. The healthcare professionals participating in this program will help pediatric patients cope more effectively through education, preparation, and play.
One of the tools they intend to use is demonstrating all items the child may see, hear, and feel before a procedure. They will show them the sterile towels, let them feel the saline and that it does not burn, and let the child touch any of the items used. This is especially true for anxiety-inducing tests like a CT scan when specialists show the patient a video of another child getting the test and explaining what to expect. This also calms parents’ worries about the visit.
Brescia University’s Workforce Development Program and Psychology faculty will train up to 10 Owensboro Health team members simultaneously with special child-centric skills during a 10-week, 40-hour course. The professional development program aims to enhance communication, critical thinking, and life-long learning skills in practical application to the healthcare work environment.
A release from the cooperative says innovation in training allows the emergency department to provide child life services around the clock, seven days per week, while also transferring the essential skills of communication and critical thinking to other departments within the hospital.
Funding for the training is made possible through the Owensboro Health Foundation.
“We are over the moon about this partnership,” said foundation director Tracy Naylor. “The Psychology faculty and Dr. Anna Kuthy, Workforce Development Program Director, have worked very hard to give us an incredible offering. I am unaware of any other partnership of this kind, and I suspect it will be the first of many at Owensboro Health.”
At the September Rooster Booster event, Brescia University executive vice president Lauren McCrary spoke about the partnership.
“We are proud of our talented staff who collaboratively helped develop this initiative and our faculty who can use their well-developed and researched expertise outside of the classroom in a way that impacts so many in our community.
