The Benefits of Teaching Visible Wellbeing in a Hospital School
Hospital schools help ensure students who need medical care don’t get left behind in their studies. But these schools also need to be equipped with skills to ensure the wellbeing of students.
When we think of schools, we tend to think of mainstream education. We picture the classrooms. We imagine lots of teachers and even more students going about their days. And we see an environment that has lots of energy and a whole lot of noise. But the reality is that schools can come in all shapes and sizes to cater to students' various needs. One such school is a hospital school. This is an institution that helps students who need both medical and educational attention. These schools, which operate within hospitals, cater to children from Kindergarten through to Year 12.
Students can find themselves in a hospital school for various medical reasons, which include cancer, auto-immune diseases, digestive issues, broken bones, and chronic illnesses. Hospital schools can also help children who experience mental illnesses, eating disorders, and even those with suicidal ideation. How long students stay in hospital schools depends on their medical needs. Some stay for only a short time, while others are in for a long haul. And there will also be those that come and go due to their chronic illnesses. But despite the medical journey of these kids, the school curriculum still marches forward.
That’s the challenge that hospital schools aim to overcome. These schools are there to help students continue to learn and study while receiving the medical care they need. However, spending time in the hospital does not just affect a learner's education. It also brings with it many well-being challenges. These could include loneliness, anxiety about their illnesses, fear of medical procedures, feeling different from friends, missing home, and the feeling of falling behind.
Another common challenge facing students in hospitals is the transition back to school once they leave the hospital. Returning to school after medical treatment can be daunting. Students who are dealing with health issues wonder: “How do I fit back in with my friends? Does the teacher know what I’ve been through? How do I catch up on my schoolwork? What do I do if I feel sick or tired?” Some students are released from the hospital but need to convalesce at home, so the break from school is even more extended. This is why it is pertinent that hospital school teachers are gifted not only in their ability to help kids keep up with the school curriculum but also in the skills to help boost the wellbeing of those students.
In the article below, I am proud to showcase the inspiring work being done at Royal North Shore Hospital School, Sydney, Australia.
Making Wellbeing Visible at Hospital Schools
In 2020, Royal North Shore Hospital School teachers undertook the Visible Wellbeing training with me. They began to find ways of embedding Visible Wellbeing practices into the hospital wards to help their students learn effectively and feel good at the same time, doing so despite the adversities these students were facing. The Royal North Shore Hospital team developed their Hospital Outreach Program in Education (HOPE). This program incorporates the Visible Wellbeing framework to build the mental wellbeing of students through:
1. Reframing Negative Thoughts
This often happens in tandem with illness and anxiety. And generally, the students are not feeling good about themselves. The teachers introduce the lesson concept first and talk to the students about how they are feeling about their current situation. They then do a follow-up session with the student so the student can share their reflections.
2. Teaching Gratitude, Meditation, and Mindfulness
The teachers talk about gratitude, meditation, and mindfulness to students at Royal North Shore. That way, students can learn how to focus their attention on what truly matters to them, which is their learning and recovery. It can sharpen their awareness of the moments when they have negative thoughts and help keep them at bay. On the flip side it can sharpen their attention to the good moments that happen in the hospital like a kind nurse, a nice meal or a visit from a friend.
3. Focusing on Strengths
The teachers at Royal North Shore who teach the HOPE program also emphasise the need for students to focus on their strengths. This is particularly helpful during their transition period when they go back to regular school, which is a daunting time for them given the time they've spent away from everybody. Some of the approaches the teachers use to help their students focus on their strengths include sessions on strength awareness, strength use, and strength spotting.
4. Encouraging Optimism
It is certainly no easy feat to continue learning while needing medical attention. And it can be even more daunting to go back to school after weeks, months, or maybe years of being stuck in a hospital. But through HOPE, teachers at the Royal North Shore can encourage optimism by using the fifth pathway in my SEARCH Framework, which is all about coping. To do so, they implement resilience and coping interventions. These can improve the students’ mental wellbeing despite facing life challenges.
5. Establishing a Healthy Routine
Habits and goals are part of the sixth pathway in the Visible Wellbeing Framework. And the teachers at Royal North Shore put this to good use by making sure that their students discovered a routine that works for them. These include sleep, healthy eating, and even a social media routine.
The Benefits of Teaching Visible Wellbeing at Hospital Schools
The Hospital Outreach Program in Education at Royal North Shore has proven itself to be a success. Guided by the Visible Wellbeing program, the following results have been achieved:
● Students are able to maintain a strong link to their school.
● Students learn coping skills that they can use long after they have left the hospital and on all sorts of life’s challenges after their medical challenge has been resolved.
● Positive mental health of students has improved.
● Students’ transition back to school has been more positive.
Teachers Can Prioritise Students’ Wellbeing
Hospital schools are doing amazing work at making sure that students with medical needs can continue their education. But they are also doing much more than ensuring that the students do not fall behind in their studies. After all, an illness does not just take their time away from their classrooms. It can also negatively impact their wellbeing, which can make it difficult for them to focus on their studies and even their recovery. The program at Royal North Shore shows that it is possible to prioritise a student’s education and wellbeing.
If you want to learn more about the Visible Wellbeing program that was used by this hospital school and many other mainstream schools….
Enrol in the Visible Wellbeing Teacher Certificate course. It’s an on-demand course available through this link. Alternatively, you can join by becoming part of our Visible Wellbeing school team.