Issues associated with the development of clowns
Most of the children tend to shy away from the hospitals because of its frightening nature and experiences. The hospital presents a place away from home for the child with no familiar family members around. The environment is always strange with smell and noise and this creates some fear of the new and unknown to the child.
However, the development of clown program tends to alleviate child’s fear of being within the confines of a hospital by making them feel at ease. This kind of freedom has a positive impact on the child’s healing process since it provides an effective distraction from the pains of illness (Joseph, 2002).
Therapeutic Clown change the child’s experiences in hospitals by offering good substitute to the needles and painful processes. It provides the patient with the opportunity to have fun which is natural and normal to the children. Therapeutic clown offers the children emotional comfort by being the child’s playmate or a friend (Source Direct, 2004). This makes the clowning program in hospitals to be an effective therapy to certain illness since it forms a vital part during recovery process.
The process is made possible through the subtle humour that goes with it helping in pain alleviation; this therefore makes it be accepted as one of the rehabilitation treatments to children (Cino, 2010). Clown program provide an immediate special kind of treatment through fun and laughter which has physiological and psychological benefits. This helps the children to feel more comfortable with the medical procedures and emergency cases.
There are cases whereby some children, young people and even young adults fear interacting with the clowns. This might be because of unfamiliarity they have with the Clown’s make- up and costuming, other cases can be attributed to insensitivity and unskilled clowns. This can also be aroused by the fear of the evil clowns usually given wide coverage through the media. Therapeutic clowns must learn on how to approach patients professionally to avoid negative responses from the children and others (Koller and Gryski, 2007).
Cost and Benefits of clown program
Growing research has revealed that the use of clown program has significant benefits for medical treatment as well as the maintenance of health care systems since it reduces the use of pharmaceuticals. This ensures that the high costs involved in the use of drugs and the complications that may accompany it are minimized. The clown program also acts as substitute to ease the tension and fear that a child may undergo during certain medical processes.
Besides the patients, clown program is also beneficial to the health care workers since it improves their working conditions (Koller and Gryski, 2007). There is faster growth on the costs of Pharmaceuticals of all kinds; this has contributed to the increase in healthcare costs in most countries. The clown program hence, provides the best alternative for the reduction on the use of these hence controlling the health care costs (Koller and Gryski, 2007).
Implementing the program in healthcare organization
Research has revealed that the use of Arts-based programs and activities alongside creative Arts Therapies has produced effective results when used as tools for improvement of health. These programs have proved to lower the costs of health care and even contribute towards sustainability of health care systems. The use of clowns has tremendously contributed to the health of individuals and community at large (Arts and Health Network, 2010).
The research done in the health care organization has consistently cited the importance of implementing psychosocial care within the children’s health care unit (Oremland and Oremland, 2000). It has been noted that play in children protects the child against developmental delays including emotional maturity (Pederson, 1995, pp. 365-375; Vessey et al, 1994, 369-381).
This makes it vital for the healthcare organizations to implement hospital play programs that assist in psychosocial care. The clown program presents the children with opportunity to interact and get thoroughly involved in plays (Koller and Gryski, 2007).
References
Arts and Health Network. (2010). Arts for the health of it, and the Joy of it. Web.
Cino, L. (2010). The Therapeutic Clown Program. Web.
Joseph, M. (2002). Therapeutic Clowning: Healing connection through play. Credit Valley Hospital 20 (5), 4.
Koller, D. and Gryski, C. (2007). The life Threatened Child and the Enhancing Clown. Web.
Oremland, E., & Oremland, D. (2000). Protecting the Emotional Development of the Child. The Essence of the Child Life Profession. Madison (CT): Psychosocial Press.
Pederson, C. (1995). Effect of imagery on children’s pain and anxiety during cardiac catheterization. J Pediatr Nurs: Nurs Care Children Families, 10:365–75.
Source direct. (2004). Source of Unique fine food and beverage products. Web.
Vessey, J., Carlson, K. and McGill J. (1994). Use of distraction with children during an acute pain experience. Nurs Res; Vol. 43:369–81.