Impact of clowning in the hospital environment

a humanized approach to health care

Abstract

Introduction: Hospital clowning is a practice that uses humor and art to promote emotional well-being, positively re-signifying the hospitalization process. Objective: To report the experience of medical students in a hospital clowning discipline that included activities in a large hospital in the city of Belo Horizonte. Experience Report: This is a descriptive and qualitative study of the experience report type. During the first semester of 2023, a group of second-year medical students underwent a training process in clowning activities to build characters, artistic repertoire, and to study biosafety standards in a hospital environment. Then, a series of biweekly visits were made to people hospitalized in a hospital linked to the Brazilian unified health system. In the practice field, songs were played, magic tricks were performed, games were played, gifts were distributed, and conversations were held. Several patients reported feeling more relaxed and good-humored after the clowns' visit. There was effective participation of a large part of the audience in the interactions. Approximately 240 people were directly benefited by the activity. Final Considerations: It is possible to state that hospital clowning is a way of promoting health, entertainment and reducing emotional tension through playful practices and humanized care. Furthermore, the experiences gained in the project contributed to a more comprehensive and ethical professional and personal training of future doctors.