Is anyone on here a Hospital Play therapist?

[sleepismysuperpower1]

Hi,

My dd has been looking into possible career choices so that she has an idea of what A-Levels to pick, and she came across a hospital play therapist job description which interested her (she wants to work in a job that 'helps people' and likes children). She was asking me about it but I don't know much, so I was wondering if anyone could tell me about their day to day in this role?

Thank you so much x

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3743740-AIBU-to-refuse-to-wear-my-work-uniform

The Op in this thread is a play therapist

There’s a teeny tiny woman posting on another thread who is

@candle1000 oh thank you, do you think i should PM her? I don't really want to hijack her thread!

Crossposted

Won’t hurt to try .

Ha ha ha

Also came here to link to oversized shirt lady.

She’s just starting though

Joining the queue re tiny woman in giant size small polo shirt.

I did voluntary work with play therapists many moons ago. Their role (as I saw it) was to try to offer the children on the paediatric wards opportunities to take part in normal play activities, either in the hospital playroom, or at the bedside if the child was restricted to staying in bed / in isolation. They also did work with individual children in preparing them for the treatment they needed ( explaining and demonstrations injections/plaster casts etc using teddies).
It seemed like a lovely job, but I think it's a bit niche, not sure how many might be employed by a trust, not massive numbers I'd imagine.

I'm not one but have experience of them with both my children. They are a really essential part of the childrens ward jn my opinion. They truly make the experience of hospitals enjoyable for my little boy. He loves each and every one of them.

I'd be worried that is not well paid tbh but I can see that it's really needed if kids are in hospital for a long time and/or their mobility is restricted

We had a trainee play therapist at my children’s school last year. They couldn’t afford to pay her once she’d qualified though so she left. I can’t imagine it’s terribly well paid.

I'm a peadiatric nurse. Play specialists provide the kids with activities to do to keep them occupied, take them to theatre and prepare support them through any procedures. There seems to be a shortage. We barely see ours. and have learned to manage without.

The hospital I trained in had loads of play specialists who worked he same shifts as the nurses. We wouldn't dream of doing anything without them to help. Unfortunately the ones in the hospital I work in work 9-4 week days only.

I believe it's paid as band 4 and there are degree courses in it.

Hospital play specialist details:

hpset.org.uk/training-entry/

Day in the life of a hospital play specialist:

www.kch.nhs.uk/news/public/news/view/28452

Valuable and important work they do!

Thank you so much for all your replies, they have been really helpful. will pass them over to dd x

@Toddlerteaplease would you say that it is quite a niche position? is dd likely to struggle to find employment if she was applying now? (obviously it would be in quite a few years time but i was just wondering how common a position it is)

It is a niche job. But almost every hospital that treats children will have them.

@Toddlerteaplease ah ok, thank you so much for your help

A good play specialist really is worth their weight in gold. We miss having a good one. We barely see ours.

Hospitals and children's hospices have play therapists.

I was a clinical nursery nurse, it might be another role she could consider? As a clinical nursery nurse I have worked on a neonatal ward looking after babies up to 28 days old, we would look after babies with jaundice, those who were struggling to feed and babies who were on their way home from NICU/SCBU, I have also worked on SCBU. I have worked in a children's hospice and I have cared for children with complex health care needs in their own homes to allow parents and siblings to have some time to do the things you can't always do when you have a child who is dependent on technology (non-invasive ventilators, those with tracheostomies etc) at home. We were NHS band 4 too, the same as a hospital play therapist.

Or what about being a peadiatric nurse. It really is the best job ever. And occasionally stressful but no where near as bad as adult nursing. And you feel like you can make a difference.

I work in a SEMH school and we employ a play therapist so it's not just a hospital setting that she needs to consider.

@bloodywhitecat that sounds really interesting but dd doesn't want to take sciences at a-level which it sounds like she would have to do to become a nurse? happy to be corrected on that!