Let’s Pretend Hospital returns after COVID hiatus; 2022 camp focuses on intellectually disabled population

Let's Pretend Hospital event for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Michael Mercier | UAH

After a COVID hiatus, this spring The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) once more hosted the Let's Pretend Hospital (LPH). LPH is a program crafted to help participants reduce the fear and anxiety they may experience if they are hospitalized or have to make a visit to the emergency room. The program has traditionally been designed to service first graders, but this year the focus of the program emphasized helping the local intellectually disabled (ID) population.

“When Huntsville Hospital and the CON decided in the summer of 2021 that the annual LPH event for spring 2022 would be too risky with the COVID numbers on the rise, I simply thought that would be it – another year without LPH,” explains Dr. Melissa Foster, a clinical assistant professor within the College of Nursing at UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System. "However, as the fall semester progressed and we saw decreases in COVID numbers, I was looking at options for my community health nursing students’ learning opportunities."

Michael Mercier | UAH

Let's Pretend Hospital is a partnership between UAH College of Nursing (CON) faculty, students, staff and other volunteers working in concert with the Huntsville Hospital Department of Volunteer Services. The program began in 1985 and over time evolved into a five-day event which serves approximately 2,000 students in 60 public and private schools in Madison County. CON faculty and students write and coordinate study guides with Child Life Specialists and also prepare skits that are performed in each hospital room.

“This year's Let's Pretend Hospital was definitely a different and exciting event!” Dr. Foster notes. “Through my course (NUR405 - Community Health Nursing), some of my students' clinical hours consist of interacting and teaching various topics to the intellectually disabled (ID) population. This population is often overlooked in many ways, and any types of resources are thoroughly welcomed. So after talking to our partners in the ID community, Dr. Marlena Primeau (my partner in teaching the ID community) and I pitched a proposal for an event that was similar to the traditional LPH (for first graders) experience. The proposal was met with overwhelming excitement and enthusiasm!”

Michael Mercier | UAH

UAH Nursing faculty and students assembled goody bags for each participant that included miscellaneous items such as band-aids, hospital caps, masks and scuffs, as well as “props” from the Simulation & Learning Innovation Center to make each room look realistic.

“My course plans and implements a large-scale event each semester (fall is a disaster simulation and spring is LPH), and my students find these events to be some of their favorite nursing school memories, so I wanted them to have some kind of experience,” Dr. Foster says.

Michael Mercier | UAH

Nursing Seniors perform skits as doctors, nurses and technicians to provide information and demonstrations to the participants who are each selected to be a patient in a particular room. Volunteers, faculty and nursing students manage the progression of each class. As many as eight classes may move through the hospital at one time, making coordination essential. This year’s event was tailored specifically to the needs of the ID population.

“With the help of a group of my senior nursing students (management team), we planned, implemented and evaluated this pilot event to educate the ID population about various aspects of health care and settings they may encounter,” Dr. Foster says. “There were eight different areas that the attendees rotated through that each had a ‘curriculum’ to teach what this population should know about the specific area. The areas included Clinic or urgent care, a waiting room, Operating Room, X-ray and lab, Emergency Room, a patient room, an area with therapy pets (Therapy Partners in Huntsville) and an ambulance (HEMSI). There was also time built in for a question and answer period.”

Michael Mercier | UAH

Senior students enrolled in Community Health Nursing are expected to participate in LPH. These students are required to staff the hospital during the full week and serve on student committees for planning and preparation of the hospital. The student committees include security, public relations and evaluation.

This valuable community service performed by the College of Nursing is just one more example of the ways UAH supports Huntsville and the surrounding communities with outreach and care.

“We are very hopeful that we can continue this event on an annual basis - although that will require some supernatural scheduling!” Dr. Foster says with a smile.