Your enthusiasm should not become a burden to medical staff—the hospital’s outstanding collaborators, “Medical Clown”

“Medical Clown enter hospitals in pairs twice a week, on a long-term and uninterrupted basis, to provide customized improvisational performances for patients, their families, and medical staff.” This sentence simply describes the work of Medical Clown. But I believe everyone knows that hospitals are highly stressful places. In hospitals, medical staff, patients, and family members are all under pressure and tension due to different circumstances. Therefore, many friends ask us whether having Medical Clown appear directly inside hospitals and perform in various corners might interfere with the work being carried out in the hospital or affect patients’ rest. So this time, we would like to share with everyone how Medical Clown perform their duties in this regard.

During their training, Medical Clown learn in three major areas: “theory,” “art,” and “practicum.” The “theory” curriculum includes work guidelines, basic health education, medical knowledge, hospital operations, disease studies, pathology, nursing, and more. Knowledge such as cleanliness, hygiene, disinfection, and preventing the spread of germs is essential (because many hospitalized children have low white blood cell counts, special attention must be paid to this). They must also learn about precautions during treatment, what medical staff do when carrying out medical procedures, and so on. We even invite nurses and doctors from hospitals to teach our classes. Everything is intended to help us understand medical procedures, avoid affecting the course of treatment, and avoid becoming a burden to medical personnel.

As for Medical Clown’ performances, since they are described as “customized improvisational performances,” we always perform in “the most appropriate and suitable manner.” When a situation is unsuitable for a performance, or when someone needs to rest, undergo treatment, or is feeling unwell, we will skip them or quietly withdraw, or choose a gentler, more soothing form of performance, such as singing. We also avoid performing while medical staff are providing treatment. Only when medical personnel request it or, after assessment, determine that it is permitted, will we perform. So, Medical Clown are actually a group of performers who understand the norms of medical settings and are very “good at reading the situation”!

Now let’s talk about how Medical Clown help in medical settings! In France, medical personnel and Medical Clown have developed excellent rapport through years of collaboration. There have even been cases in which medical staff invited Medical Clown to accompany and sing to a girl while she was having a bone marrow aspiration, allowing her to relax and divert her attention. During that time, the medical staff were able to quietly and accurately perform and complete the entire medical procedure.

In fact, at National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital, there are fixed time slots every week for more invasive treatments or uncomfortable examinations (such as injections, blood draws, and more). When facing the impending pain—which they understand very well because they have to endure this discomfort over the long term—the children’s small bodies and minds inevitably experience great fear and tension. After receiving treatment or undergoing examinations, the lingering shadow or continuing sensation of discomfort often breaks our hearts as well. Therefore, at the suggestion of the nursing station, Medical Clown adjusted their schedules some time ago so that children could divert their fear and relax their tense minds while receiving treatment or undergoing examinations, or receive help in easing these unpleasant feelings.

There have also been many occasions when children cried and fussed because they were sad, uncomfortable, or emotionally unsettled, making it difficult for their parents to step away to handle other important matters. This could also trouble medical staff while they were on duty, or cause a noisy ward that left everyone feeling agitated. Usually, at times like these, Medical Clown come out to accompany, amuse, and perform for the children, helping them calm down and divert their attention, and even bringing smiles to their faces to resolve the difficulty. Children who refuse to sleep have also gradually drifted off to dreamland with the companionship and singing of Medical Clown, allowing their caregivers to rest as well.

Through companionship, conversation, performances, and singing, Medical Clown bring smiles and warmth to children, helping them resist treatment less and even face and accept it more positively. At the same time, with an optimistic and proactive attitude, the children gain hope for recovery and improved resilience. Medical Clown also help parents relax and alleviate immense hardship and pressure; they enable medical personnel to carry out their work smoothly, while also appropriately easing tense emotions and bringing smiles back to their faces.

Medical Clown are not therapists, but they can serve as valuable collaborators in medical care. Thus, they not only do not interfere with, hinder, or affect the work of medical personnel—they can even help with it!

(This article was also published on the NPOst public-interest exchange platform.)