Today a group of medical students from Notre Dame came to run the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’ Our Kindy and Pre-Primary students took their teddies to be treated and got to use a stethoscope, apply bandages and administer immunisations All the children and their teddies left very excited about their experience!
The Teddy Bear Hospital Project (TBHP) is an international medical initiative that aims to reduce children's fears of medical procedures and staff. With the support of parents, teachers, and doctors, it is organized and run primarily by medical students.
The underlying strategy and program, is called the Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) and involves mock consultations where medical students role play as a "teddy doctor" to children who act as the carer of a teddy, or another soft toy, requiring consultation. The strategy is used to help reduce children's fears of doctors, hospitals and medical procedures, and provides an opportunity for medical students to better understand children. The strategy is typically used as part of pediatric and pediatric nursing curriculums.
Our Kindy students were also lucky enough to have a visit from our local AIM dental team, who spoke to the children about visiting the dentist and the importance of looking after their teeth. The children enjoyed learning what happens during a dental check‑up and were given helpful tips on brushing, caring for their teeth, and keeping their smiles healthy.
It was a fun and informative session that helped make dentist visits feel less scary and more familiar. Thank you AIM Dental for taking the time to visit our students.
