The Hospital Clown: A Closer Look, a 195 page book by Shobi Schwebke and Patty Wooten

The Hospital Clown: A Close Look [home]

by Shobhana Schwebke and Patty Wooten

Introduction

“The arrival of a good clown exercises a more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than of twenty asses laden with drugs.”

-- Thomas Sydenham, philosopher from Middle Ages

Every day, thousands of people are touched by the presence of a hospital clown. Hundreds of hospitals around the world have approved hospital clown programs. Scientific research continues to prove that attitude and emotional response influence our health and healing. And yet, hospitals remain skeptical about the value and safety of the hospital clown. Why?

The hospital clown’s humor comes from spirit, from playfulness, it is not the cognitive humor of riddles or jokes. The clown’s humor does not come from the head, it comes from the heart. A clown in the hospital is the joke. A clown walking down a hospital corridor is the spirit of humor. The mere presence of the clown brings a reminder of joy and hope into rooms of fear and dis-ease.

Administrators feel the need to put clowns in hospital categories. Clowns want freedom of artistic expression. Hospital care is a scientific-based discipline, the clown is a heart-based discipline. So here we have the age-old duality of the mind and the heart. So what do we do with this merry predicament? Both sides have questions.

The hospital staff asks: How do we measure the effects of this humor? Who are these foolish creatures and what are they doing in my hospital? Who supervises this creative artist? . What department does the clown belong to? Where does the Clown fit into the budget? What do they wear? What do they do? Are they Clown-Therapists? Clown-Chaplains? Clown-Child Life Workers? Clown Doctors?

The clowns ask: Who do I ask for permission to create a hospital clown program? What do I need to know about infection control? What do all those signs on the patient’s door mean? What should I do in a crisis? How do I clean my puppets? When is the best time to make clown rounds?

This book will provide many answers, but at the same time it will pose more questions. It is not a definitive guide on creating hospital clown programs, nor is it a book on how to be a hospital clown. Our purpose here is to clarify misunderstandings and create a bridge to bring the clown and the hospital staff closer together.

Join us as we take a “closer look” into the world of the hospital clown.

Bios [Home]

Nurse Kindheart (Patty Wooten) and Shobi Dobi (Shobhana Schwebke)

Shobhana Schwebke, M.A. aka Shobi Dobi is the editor/publisher of The Hospital Clown Newsletter, an international newsletter published since 1995. Shobi has worked as a hospital clown at Kaiser Permenante in Oakland California, and hospitals, clinics and orphanages in Guatemala, India, China, England, Denmark, Portugal, Russia, Canada, Mexico and throughout the USA. She gives workshops on hospital clowning to hospital clown groups and "Funshops" to hospital staff. Before moving to California in 1984, Shobhana was an exhibiting painter in New York City. She had a Fulbright Grant in Fine Arts to study in Rome and was a founding member of the Art Therapy Association in New York City. In California, Shobhana became Shobi Dobi the clown and found the work of her life - hospital clowning. She spent 6 years with the Clown School of San Francisco studying clown improvisation and performing. Shobi gives hospital clown workshops and laughter workshops for the clowns in all of us. See Shobi's resume.

Patty Wooten, is a nurse, a clown and a leader in the field of therapeutic humor. For the last 18 years she has traveled across the USA and around the world helping health professionals, patients and clowns understand the benefits of humor and laughter for the body, mind and spirit. Often called the "Queen of Jest," Ms. Wooten is a veteran of countless radio shows and has appeared on such TV shows as NBC's Real Life, To Tell the Truth and Good Morning L.A. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Better Homes and Gardens, and Psychology Today. Patty is a founding member of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. She is also the author of two books, Heart Humor and Healing and Compassionate Laughter, as well as many professional articles. Patty has tickled the funny bones of over 200,000 happy people.

Table of Contents [Home]

What Hospitals Need to Know About Clowns by Shobi Dobi	Page
Who are the hospital clowns?	1
How are Hospital Clown Different from circus or party clowns?	11
What do Hospital Clowns wear?	12
What is a clown character?	15
How do clowns develop a character	15
How will I know if a clown’s character is appropriate for my hospital?	20
Why is it important for a hospital clown to have a strong clown character?	20
Why does a clown have to be spontaneous?	24
Does the clown come to the hospital just to play?	28
What special personal qualities does a clown need to be a hospital clown?	34
Can I, as a hospital caregiver, become a clown?	40
What if I am a professional clown and also a nurse?	41
Are hospital clowns affiliated, credentialed or certified?	41
Where do Clowns get their training?	44
Where can I find a clown for my hospital?	46
When I am interviewing a clown what questions can I ask?	46
What are the signs of an inexperienced hospital clown?	47
Do clowns make mistakes	48
How does the clown’s play differ from that of a child life worker?	49
Are there established professional hospital clown programs?	52
How does Clown fit into the hospital	63
If I don’t like what the clown does, who can I tell about it? Who is the clown accountable to?	64
How do I keep track of what the clowns do?	64
How do we evaluate your program?	65
Do I have to pay the clown?	65
How much do we pay the clowns?	68
What can clowns do that other hospital personnel can not do?	69
Will the clown respect my patient vulnerable state and not preach to my patient?	73
How can hospital staff be reassured that the clown will be sensitive to my patients’ needs?	76
How can hospital staff be reassured that the clown won’t harm my patient?	77
What can hospital staff do to help the clown?	78
Can a clown suffer from burn-out too?	79
Do clowns need emotional support and where do they get it?	80
Where else in the hospital can a clown be of help?	80
Why do clowns want to work in a hospital	84
How can a clown witness all the suffering in the hospital and still be funny?	84
How can a clown play in the midst of a world of hurt?	88
How can a clown play with a dying child?	89
What Clowns Need to Know About Hospitals by Patty Wooten
Why are hospitals reluctant to accept clowns?	95
How do I find out about hospital rules and procedures?	98
When is it appropriate for a clown to be in a hospital and for how long.	98
What things should I NOT bring into the hospital?	99
What areas are the most important for me to go?	100
What department should I not forget?	100
Who are all those serious people and how do I know who is in charge?	100
What is appropriate play with staff?	102
What do all those signs mean?	102
When should I be concerned about privacy and confidentiality?	103
What do I need to know about the patient and their illness?	103
How do I respect the patient’s vulnerability?	104
What kinds of illness am I likely to see in the hospital?	109
How do I know where I can go to help, which departments need me?	112
What are the sensitive areas in the hospital?	113
When are clowns in the way?	114
Where in the hospital should I not go (even accidentally)?	115
When I walk into a room what should I notice?	115
How do I respond if a patient asks me for a glass of water?	116
What can I do to help in a crisis?	116
Should I offer patients advice on anything?	117
Why do clowns need to be concerned with infection control?	118
What do I need to know about germs if I’m a hospital clown?	120
Should I use a different puppet in the public areas than I use in the patient’s room?	121
What if somebody in the lobby sneezes on my puppet or prop?	122
What if a patient wants to hold my public area puppet or play with a prop?	122
What if a patient hugs my puppet? What should I do about germs?	123
Can my puppet stroke somebody’s hand?	123
Is it okay for me to hold somebody’s hand?	123
What about infection control with face painting?	124
How do germs die?	126
How can I protect myself and others from germs?	127
When is it necessary to wash my hands?	127
How can I wash my hands effectively?	128
How do germs move around the hospital?	130
How do hospitals control the spread of germs.	130
What is the risk for hospital clown? Can they catch something awful?	134
How do I know if my props, puppet or costume needs cleaning?	135
How clean do things need to be?	137
How can I remove germs from my props, puppets and person?	137
How do I choose a cleaning technique?	138
What are practical methods I can use at home to remove germs from my props, puppets and costume?	138
What is the difference between Protocol, Policy and Procedure?	140
Summary - What Clowns Need to Know about Hospitals	143

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