4th Year Mental Health Students Making a Difference…..

During their mental health clinical rotation, fourth year nursing students, Amanda Everton, Laurel Wakefield, Sarah Ng-Padua, Jennifer Baziuk, Dorthea Bergen and Akta Bajaj saw the need for recreational programming in the facility that they were in.

The facility had a recreation room full of supplies but lacked the staff to organize activities. The students used the supplies available and organized and facilitated activities such as paining, colouring and bracelet making. They also played games and even organized a walking group. The students contacted volunteer services, brought in a therapy dog and a musician to visit the wards.

At first, only a few patients participated, but as time went on, more and more patients attended. Patients began asking what activities were planned for the day. The patients on the unit described how the activities were “therapeutic”, “helped them focus” and were “a pleasant distraction”.

Site Program Leader, Celeste Waldman, commented that she was very impressed by the students’ passion to do all they could for the patients on the unit that they were on. “I commend these students for their efforts, and I know they made a positive difference in the lives of their patients.”