Employees in the pediatrics unit at Akron Children’s Beeghly campus wanted to add a special, personal touch to the inpatient playroom that was part of a broader hospital renovation project.
“Our staff has always taken pride in our unit being pediatric friendly, and upon the completion of the playroom we were looking for some wall decals that might add that extra child-friendly touch,” said DeAnne Bunevich, a child life specialist at the Beeghly campus.
Feeling like they could do better than the decals they found, the staff discussed as a group some other possible options. An idea then surfaced to incorporate a part of the staff members themselves into the project.
“That’s when the idea evolved into bringing staff members’ children in, and using their individual hand- and footprints as painted design elements on the walls,” Bunevich said.
Bunevich and colleague Sara Bundy coordinated the project. Staffers brought in their children at designated times so as not to disrupt the unit, and each one enjoyed the opportunity to leave their mark on the playroom walls.
“This playroom is used by patients and their families who aren’t in isolation,” Bunevich said. “It’s centrally located on the floor and visible from both sides of the hallway, and the fresh, matching colors from the paint help make the room look more inviting and fun. I know we certainly had fun doing it.”
In total, 42 children, grandchildren and siblings from 19 employee families participated.
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