Teddy Bear Hospital: Small patients experience great visit to the doctor!

Teddy Bear Hospital: Small patients experience great visit to the doctor!

The Teddy Clinic in the State Hospital Feldkirch is an exciting project that not only offers children but also medical students new perspectives. Until Wednesday, children have the opportunity to play a visit to the hospital here in a playful way. "It's nice to work with small children, because we don't really learn that at the university," says medical student Elias Moser about his experiences. The "Teddy Docs", consisting of students from MedUni Innsbruck as well as from universities of applied sciences and nursing schools, offer a realistic simulation of a hospital visit, which ranges from an reception station to an emergency clinic to operating halls. Children can overcome their fear of medical devices such as ultrasound and stethoscope in the protected framework, which is an important experience for young patients, as Alissa Yeni emphasizes.

challenges in dealing with patients

While the Teddy Clinic is a lot of pleasure, doctors in their everyday life are also faced with considerable challenges in dealing with "difficult patients". Often difficulties are not only in treatment, but also in communication. According to the psychologist Friedemann Schulz von Thun, there are several levels in every communication: factual, emotional, interpersonal and appellative. An example: If a patient says: "I still have severe pain", this can also say a lot about his relationship with the treating person and reveal the desire for support. It is therefore essential that doctors recognize the different meanings and emotions behind the statements of their patients.

In medical practice, the term "difficult patient" is multifaceted. It encompasses various behaviors, from theatrical and recognition -looking patients to suspicious and legitimate. These patients demand empathy and the ability to clear communication from the doctors. Doctors should be aware that there are often complex emotional needs behind the statements, and ask if there are ambiguities to avoid misunderstandings. In this way, every doctor can help to make the treatment more effective and understandable for everyone involved, such as draco.de

The Teddy Clinic and the challenges in dealing with different patient types offer an revealing view of medical training and everyday practice, where both empathy and specialist knowledge meet.