Nurses and staff in the gastroenterology unit help lift patient spirits by wearing tutus to work every Tuesday.
The tutus help incorporate fun into the workplace and aim to distract the patient’s from their hospital stay. One Tuesday, professional dancers from the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre wore their tutus to the unit to celebrate the fun with staff and visit patients.
“My daughter was very excited about it, because she loves anything having to do with princesses,” said Joyce McGeehan, a patient’s mother. “We really appreciated it as a family, because when you’re here, it can be very stressful. It’s always nice to brighten my daughter’s spirits and make the day extra fun.”
Sporting their tutus and putting smiles on the children’s faces makes the job for Kathy Gaughan, RN, worth it.
“Nobody wants to be in the hospital, so the more fun we can make it, the better the children’s response to any treatments we’re trying to do,” she said. “Laughter really is the best medicine, and it’s hard not to laugh when you have a tutu on.”
