The Teddy Bear Clinic: Engaging School-Aged Children in Health Education

Abstract

This article describes the use of play therapy in a school-based health clinic on an American Indian Reservation. The project used the play therapy model, a nursing intervention focused on using play materials in a therapeutic manner as a form of communication and self-expression for children, enhancing the development of social, emotional, and behavioral skills through the nursing process. The purpose of the Teddy Bear Clinic was to establish relationships among non-Native student nurses and Native American children and their community on a Northern Plains Indian Reservation. A discussion of the potential benefits addresses opportunities for school nurses and student nurses to enhance their understanding of children’s perceptions of the health care clinic and the effects of historical trauma on the health and wellbeing of Native American children while offering an opportunity for young children to engage in the health care setting in a fun way, without fear or discomfort is provided.