Teddy Bear Hospital Helps Ease Kids' Anxieties About Surgery

Event is part of AORN's Perioperative Nurse Week Nov. 9-15

DENVER, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Students at Peakview Elementary in Denver and other schools around the country can bring their beloved teddy bears and other tattered toys to the "hospital", where operating room nurses will sew, button and bandage them today, teaching students a unique lesson about health care right in their classrooms.

Part of the Association of the Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Perioperative Nurse Week (www.aorn.org), the Teddy Bear Hospital is a role-play event to help decrease children's anxiety about hospitalization and medical staff, as well as prepare them in case they ever have to face surgery.

A team of nurses will repair the stuffed animals for kindergarten through second grade students. After the animals are triaged according to the severity of their "injuries", the children can follow their toys from pre-op to post-op. They will also receive a certificate for bravery during surgery.

Photos: http://www.aorn.org/Education/EducationEvents/PerioperativeNurseWeek2008/TeddyBearHospital/

"Perioperative nurses are the emotional connection between the patient and surgery team," said Linda Groah, president of AORN. "We want kids to not be afraid of hospitals and the health care staff, and to look up to nurses as role models."

Perioperative registered nurses provide patient care before, during and after a surgical procedure, from admission to anesthesia, and from surgery to recovery. Since 1979, Perioperative Nurse Week has educated the public on the diverse roles that operating room nurses play and raised awareness for the profession.

"The need for operating room nurses is greater than ever," said Groah. "Nurses who leave the profession or retire are not being replaced because nursing schools don't have enough instructors to train new recruits. We hope to educate the public on this admirable career and inspire interest among young students."

About AORN

Denver-based Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), is a national association committed to improving patient safety in the surgical setting. With more than 43,000 members nationwide, AORN is the premier resource for Perioperative nurses, advancing the profession and the professional with valuable guidance as well as networking and resource-sharing opportunities. For more information visit www.aorn.org.