The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Emergency Department (ED) is facing more challenges than ever with increased demand and complex patient needs. To help address these challenges, and thanks to support from the Good Friday Appeal and Woolworths, the RCH is extending its Child Life Therapy (CLT) program to this critical department.  

CLT is a proven solution that tackles the emotional and social aspects of a hospital stay, as well as engaging, educating and empowering young patients and parents.  

At its core, CLT is about creating an environment where children and young people feel safe and supported, which can reduce anxiety, and turn hospital visits into positive experiences. Child Life Therapists focus on the emotional wellbeing of young patients, offering tailored interventions to ease stress associated with medical procedures. 

Through techniques such as medical and therapeutic play, and procedure preparation and support, CLT creates a positive and engaging environment, fostering emotional expression and understanding. Therapists collaborate with clinical teams to advocate for the child’s perspective, contributing insights into emotional states and ensuring a holistic approach to care.  

Sinead Walker, mother of 6 year old RCH patient Charlie, has seen first-hand how CLT can improve a child’s hospital experience.

“The child life therapist came and talked Charlie through the options – about what they could do and the way that they could do it, and spoke through what would happen and why it would happen. It was quite a calming influence.  

“It was very reassuring to know that someone was leading us through that process and leading Charlie through it… It was very supportive.  

“The little donations probably feel small but actually for us, anything in the hospital that makes life easier is such a huge benefit to us and our kids.” 

Beth Dun, Manager of CLT and Music Therapy at the RCH, explains the importance of this program in helping make hospitals a more comfortable environment for children.  

“Sometimes a child’s first hospital experience will be the ED. It can be a scary place if they’ve never been before, and one of the things CLT can do is help make it a positive place and experience.”  

Beth shared an example of CLT in the ED in action when an eight-year-old boy with autism presented with a foreign body in his ear. With CLT support, the boy and his mother engaged in medical play, introducing them to the removal process. The therapist’s help allowed the clinician to practice on the boy’s mother, and the visual example helped the child cooperate.  

Remarkably, the foreign body was removed without sedation, completing the process in just 30 minutes. In contrast, this same scenario without CLT would likely involve a need for restraint and sedation, involving more staff, upsetting the child, and taking up to three hours to recover.  

“For example, if a child is distressed, the clinical staff may choose to use something like nitrous to help reduce stress. If the child has nitrous, they have to stay in the hospital until that wears off. The wait times are then so much longer. So we’re hoping that the use of sedation might come down in cases of distress,” Beth said.  

This example illustrates how CLT not only enhances patient care but also significantly improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the ED. Benefits like improved patient flow and decreased sedation requirements will all contribute to a more positive experience for children and families overall.  

Beth and her team are incredibly grateful for the community’s support in making this project a reality.  

“Any donation is going to make such a difference to the child’s experience. It’s heartwarming to know that that the community’s behind us and what we do,” she said. “People donating to this cause can be assured that their money is going towards creating more positive experiences for children at The Royal Children’s Hospital.”

Thanks to support from the Victorian community and the Good Friday Appeal, the RCH can expand vital services like CLT, ensuring every child receives compassionate and individualised trauma informed care. 

Impact Milestones

2024

• Implementing Child Life Therapy (CLT) in the Emergency Department (ED) service, which includes evening shifts seven days per week, launched in February 2024.  
• Three brand-new, dedicated Child Life Therapists have officially begun working across the ED.   
• Since commencement of the service, over 1,900 episodes of care have been delivered.