GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — ECU Health partnered with Pitt County Schools and their health sciences academy for a teddy bear hospital on Tuesday.
Elementary students brought their stuffed animals to school and ECU Health nurses helped examine the stuffed animals and diagnosed them. After this, students took the diagnoses of their toys to other nursing staff who then helped the children determine a treatment plan.
Pitt County Schools officials said this is a career exploratory event, and ECU Health officials said the event helps relieve the anxiety that children might have about doctors’ appointments.
“Oh, they’re having a ball. As you can see, they’re in their scrubs, they are so excited. They’ve been grinning and smiling all morning. They’re having an absolute ball, and you never know, we might have a couple of nurses and doctors in here that might wind up taking care of us one day. You never know!,” said Reed Potts, Pitt County Schools Health Sciences Academy Program coordinator.
“Trying to relieve the fears of walking into that setting and just kind of letting them know that everyone there in that hospital setting is friendly, they’re there to greet them, to help them and just to take care of those ouchies and booboos that they get,” said Nancy Turner, ECU Health Workforce Development consultant.
Pitt County Schools officials say more than 100 stuffed animals went through the teddy bear hospital on Tuesday and they look forward to treating the toys again next year.
