HANCEVILLE —

We’ve all come to know the recommended dosage of “a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down,” and while Mary Poppins may not have been in attendance, a slew of superheroes, princesses and other beloved children’s characters were more than ready to carry out the advice of the well-known nanny as they welcomed first-grade students to Wallace State Community College for the annual Let’s Pretend Hospital on Thursday.

Let’s Pretend Hospital co-chairs Susan Copeland and Heather Ashley said that the goal of the event is to help children to overcome their fears of the hospital, and to show them that a visit to the doctor doesn’t have to be intimidating. To do this, they have first-graders from area school districts rotate between eight stations set up throughout the WSCC Nursing Facility that simulate various hospital experiences through the eyes of a child.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 walk students through a typical emergency room intake procedure before they are able to assist The Cat In The Hat diagnose The Grinch with the debilitating heart condition of “being two sizes two small.”

Students also witness items, such as a Charlie horse and a wrenched ankle, be extracted in a lifesize game of Operation, and get nutritional advice from The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar on which healthy foods and “sometimes” foods will help them transform into a beautiful butterfly.

Students are also taught about safety, experience simulated X-ray procedures, learn proper hand washing techniques and get a lesson from Hanceville Fire and Rescue.

“This is an opportunity for our area first-graders to come and experience the world of healthcare and the world of hospitals in a non-threatening and fun way,” Copeland said. “We want to teach and educate them that the hospital is not scary,” Ashley added.

At one of the stations, a student from each group is selected to be “admitted” into the hospital while WSCC nursing students go through some tests likely to be performed over the duration of a visit, like having their temperature and blood pressure taken, and listening to their heartbeat. As Good Hope first-grader Cruz Knight was preparing to be “discharged,” nursing students asked his group, “So, if you guys ever need to go to the doctor or to the hospital, are y’all going to be scared?”

One voice, speaking with just a few more decibels than her classmates, proved the lesson rang true as it said “No, cause doctors are here to make you feel better.”

The event caters to children, but Copeland said one of the highlights of the day is the nursing students being able to experience the pediatric side of nursing, and interact directly with children.

“To me the biggest benefit of being able to have this opportunity, is with our nursing students who really didn’t think they wanted anything to do with pediatrics, and they come up to us at the end of the day and say, ‘Hey, I think this is really what I want to do now.’ My goal with working with them is for them to find something positive about this opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child,” Copeland said.

WSCC nursing student Jamella King has worked as a clinical assistant at Children’s Hospital in the past, but said the experience of interacting with students at Let’s Pretend Hospital confirmed for her that caring for children — even if it is under unfortunate circumstances — is what she wants to spend her life doing.

“To see the kids at that age, where they’re so eager to learn and seeing them interact was so exciting for me. Simply being able to have some sort of difference in their life even for a second, is a feeling like no other. I don’t want to see a child sick, but to be able to be included in their care and being able to use my knowledge to nurse them back to health is truly something I am looking forward to doing as a future pediatric emergency nurse. Nursing truly is a work of heart,” King said.