Ranken Jordan creates paid position to help children have more fun in the hospital

Maryland Heights, Mo. (Jan. 23, 2024) - Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in St. Louis has created a new role dedicated to helping young patients do one specific thing: have fun.

While types of play are used by Occupational Therapists, Child Life Specialists and other therapy professionals to achieve certain medical outcomes, Ranken Jordan created the Patient Play Associate role (PPA) to give their patients, the majority of whom have complex medical conditions, more opportunities to play just for fun.

Ranken Jordan’s Chief Medical Officer, Nick Holekamp, MD, said the hospital team identified a need for the new PPA role based on a number of reasons, including behavior from some patients and as an opportunity to improve upon the hospital’s unique care model, Care Beyond the Bedside, which focuses on play as healing and getting kids out of their hospital beds as much as possible.

“Our youngest patients were getting restless at quieter times, particularly nights and weekends, when they are more likely to be in bed because we have less planned programming,” Dr. Holekamp said. “This would cause some kids to pull on their medical devices, such as tracheostomies, which added to patient safety concerns. We thought if we had designated team members focused on play, that role could keep our patients engaged and give them more opportunities to play to help with their healing process.”

New research from the hospital also played into creating the role. Findings from Ranken Jordan’s latest study, led by Dr. Holekamp and recently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Child: Care, Health & Development, suggest a number of factors including more face-to-face interactions and more variety of activities could help mitigate the potential for developmental delay, for which children with complex medical conditions are more at risk.

Ranken Jordan also implemented its OZ program as a result of the research. Short for Optimization Zone, OZ is an innovative in-hospital program, similar to a preschool, for medically complex kids age 5 and younger.

Seeing results
It’s been a year since the Ranken Jordan team conceptualized the new PPA role and they have since hired a robust team of 22 PPAs.

Dependent on age and ability, PPAs do a variety of activities with patients, such as reading books, playing cards or making friendship bracelets in the hospital’s art room. The PPAs have also been trained to take patients outside safely to take advantage of Ranken Jordan’s wheelchair-friendly swing or go on a nature walk.

Early results show the young patients who were getting antsy are pulling on their medical devices less and they’re happier when engaged in kid-friendly activities.

Kristin LaRose, Ranken Jordan’s Chief Nursing Officer, said the PPA role has also had a big impact on the nursing team, since nurses can now delegate tasks to PPAs that do not require clinical training, such as brushing a patient’s hair.

“Our nurses and front-line staff are dedicated to practicing Care Beyond the Bedside, but when they are busy with nursing tasks, they can’t always stop to offer one-on-one playtime that kids not only need but crave,” LaRose said. “Our new team of PPAs helps our nurses to focus on their patient care tasks and know that kids are getting to be kids and play when they do not need specific clinical care.”

LaRose added she hopes other hospitals are inspired to add a similar role to keep pediatric patients engaged.

“Focusing on play and minimizing boredom are key for children of all ages and especially when they are in the hospital for long periods,” LaRose said. “We want to foster positive growth, development, and emotional wellness for all of our kids, and we know that play is our ‘golden ticket’ to achieve this.”

To learn more about Ranken Jordan’s new PPA role, read Dr. Holekamp’s latest post on the hospital’s Beyond the Bedside Blog. For more information about Ranken Jordan, visit rankenjordan.org.

###

Haley Raymond

Leigh Walters Communications

(207) 227-7850

Ranken Jordan is a pediatric bridge hospital that cares for kids from birth to 21 who are well enough to leave a traditional hospital but need help before they go home. The only hospital of its kind in Missouri and one of only a select few in the country, Ranken Jordan specializes in caring for children and their families with the most complex conditions, illnesses and injuries, bridging the gap between hospital and home. The 60-bed hospital uses an innovative care model, Care Beyond the Bedside, which gets children out of their hospital rooms, activating the healing power of play. Located in the heart of the Midwest, Ranken Jordan serves patients from across the region at its state-of-the-art facility.