Child Life Services
Our certified child life specialist is available to help infants, children, youth, and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of illness, injury and treatment. Child life specialists provide evidence-based, developmentally-appropriate interventions to reduce fear, anxiety and pain during health care experiences.
Next Steps
Schedule a Class
Castleview’s Pre-Op Prep is a free class and tour for children ages 2-12 who are scheduled to have surgery or dental sedation.
Schedule a Field Trip
Interested in bringing your class or youth group to the hospital for a tour?
Pre-OP Prep
Castleview’s Pre-Op Prep is a free class and tour for children ages 2-12 who are scheduled to have surgery or dental sedation. During class, children and parents will:
- Engage in a healthcare play activity to familiarize the child with the sights, and sounds of the hospital.
- Go on a guided tour of areas in the hospital that the child will see the day of surgery.
- Have an opportunity to ask questions and talk about their specific concerns about surgery with Castleview’s child life specialist.
Pediatric Surgery Class
Every Tuesday from 5:00-6:00 p.m.
The child life specialist at Castleview Hospital can help children and families in the following ways:
- Prepare a child for a medical procedure using developmentally appropriate teaching techniques and play.
- Ease a child’s nervousness, anxiety, and fear by teaching coping techniques, engaging a child in therapeutic play activities, and providing outlets for healthy expression of feelings.
- Encourage cooperation by helping a child understand a medical procedure or medical diagnosis in child-friendly terms.
- Provide distraction, breathing techniques, or guided imagery to help with pain management.
- Advocate for family-centered care and help families understand their role in the treatment and healing process.
- Provide developmentally appropriate play experiences to normalize the hospital environment and help kids be kids.
- Assist a child’s sibling, or the child of an adult patient to cope with the experiences in the hospital.
- Conduct hospital tours
Field Trips and Group Hospital Tours
Interested in bringing your class or youth group to the hospital for a tour?
Click HERE to schedule a field trip!
For more information, call 435.637.4800 ext. 3715.