Staying in a hospital or undergoing invasive medical treatments can be a very stressful and frightening experience for both children and their parents. However, due to time constraints and workload in the context of medical care, pediatric patients and their families often receive only little social support.
Healthcare Clowns visiting hospitalized children at their bedsides, providing support by spreading joy and laughter is the most widely practiced clowning format by RED NOSES. More recently, RED NOSES also started to send specifically trained clowns to accompany children before or during invasive medical procedures such as surgeries, blood draws, or vaccinations. Through their artistic interventions that evolve around improvised and participatory performances including, approaches from storytelling, circus, and music, the clowns help children to cope better during these potentially stressful situations.
This Research Nugget collates scientific evidence, highlighting the versatile positive impacts Healthcare Clowning can have on the physical and mental well-being of children in hospitals and their parents.
You can find the research attached.
