🧸 Kids' Corner

Going to the Hospital Clinic With Family

What a clinic is

A clinic is a place where doctors and nurses take care of people. Your family member goes there to get medicine and check-ups. Sometimes you get to go too.

What you will see and hear

The waiting room has chairs. Sometimes there are books, toys, or a TV.

The clinic has a smell. It is clean and a little sharp, like soap or cleaning spray. Lots of kids think the smell is strange at first. Most kids get used to it.

You will hear machines. Some of them beep. Beeping is not always bad news. Many beeps just mean a bag of medicine is empty, or a button needs pushing. A nurse comes and takes care of it.

You may see tubes and lines. A line is a small, soft tube that carries medicine into the body. It is taped down so it stays put. It is safe to sit next to.

Masks and hand gel

People clean their hands a lot here. There is hand gel on the walls. Rub some on your hands when you come in and before you leave.

Some people wear masks. Cancer medicine can make it harder for a body to fight germs. Clean hands and masks help keep germs away from people who are sick.

Rooms you cannot go into

Some doors have a stop sign. Some rooms are only for patients. Some machines are not safe to stand near.

This is not because you did anything wrong. It is a safety rule for everybody.

Bring something to do

Visits can be long. Sometimes you wait, and then you wait some more. It helps to bring:

a book or a comic
headphones
paper and pencils for drawing
a snack and water, if a grown-up says it is okay
a sweater, because clinics are chilly

Big feelings are okay

It is okay to feel bored. It is okay to feel scared, sad, mad, wiggly, or nothing much at all. Many kids feel a few things at the same time. That is normal.

Who can help

Ask a grown-up in your family. You can also ask for a child life specialist. That is a person whose job is helping kids at the hospital. They can show you around, explain the machines, and just talk with you.

You are allowed to ask questions. There are no silly questions here.