HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Wallace State Community College held its annual Let’s Pretend Hospital this week, welcoming area first-graders and more Tuesday-Thursday to the School of Nursing and Center for Science building. The popular event has been happening for more than 20 years now.
In the “Sim Center,” rooms were used to provide fun educational opportunities about emergencies and overall health.
The “Operation Room” or “Operating Room” featured a theme from the classic board game, “Operation” along with the movie “Inside Out.” Nursing students dressed as emotions from “Inside Out” to display the various things the children might feel when going through a procedure.
A sign on the wall read, “It’s OK to feel all the feels!”
This room, along with other stations, provided a chance for the little ones to see that emergency settings don’t have to be scary.
Within the “Operation Room” a nursing student dressed as the character “Joy” from “Inside Out” said she was “so happy” to be going through a procedure. When a child asked why she was happy, she responded, “Because I get to be fixed.”
This comment seemed to resonate with the goal of the Let’s Pretend Hospital: providing a child-friendly look at the reality of emergency scenarios and situations, while offering comfort that doctors and nurses will work to help children get better.
The Hanceville Fire Department joined in on the scene to teach fire safety. In the “Minecraft Room” several safety stations were set up, including helmet safety, fire safety and more.
The “Jungle Patient Room,” which featured “Zootopia” themes, provided a scenario in which a doctor is paged to make sure the patient is OK.
Dr. Frog (wearing a frog headband) and Nurse Practitioner Hops (dressed as “Judy Hopps” from “Zootopia”) used a stethoscope to listen to a patient’s heartbeat.
This room also provided a look into hospital stays and nutrition. A tray was presented featuring the balanced, nutritious meals you are provided when you are being cared for at the hospital.
The “Mario Room” featured an obstacle course to show that exercise can be fun and is an essential aspect of health. Participants, when completing the obstacle course, saved “Princess Peach” from “Bowser.”
