District nursing team use teddy bear clinic to teach children about their role

A district nursing team in Ireland has helped young children better understand the role of nurses by organising a ‘teddy bear clinic’.

South Eastern Trust’s district nursing team from the Downe Hospital held a teddy bear clinic at Convent of Mercy Nursery School in Downpatrick this week.

The teddy bear clinic initiative aims to help children understand who nurses are, what they do and what they look like, helping to reduce any fears or anxieties they may have about healthcare settings.

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It was set up by university medical schools across Ireland to help reduce children’s anxieties about medical environments.

District nurse Cara Laird and healthcare support worker Annette Nixon met with around 60 children aged three to four.

They delivered a fun and interactive session which was designed to introduce young children to the role of nurses in a friendly and reassuring way.

During the visit, the children learned about different nursing uniforms and had the opportunity to listen to their own heartbeats using a stethoscope.

Following the clinic, many children said their highlight was caring for their own teddy bears, applying bandages and making sure their ‘patients’ were on the road to recovery.

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Ms Laird said the clinic was ‘fantastic’ and that the children ‘really embraced’ the experience.

‘Events like the teddy bear clinic are a wonderful way to engage with children in a relaxed and playful environment,’ she said.

‘By using their teddies, we can help make healthcare feel less scary and more familiar. It is lovely to see their confidence grow as they learn what we do and even have a go themselves.

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‘It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm from the children. They really embraced the experience and took great care of their teddies.

‘We may have some future nurses in the making.’