Some of the biggest challenges we faced while trying to complete this project were related to time management and budgeting. Initially, we underestimated the cost of the supplies needed to make the dolls. Because of this, we had to be patient and thoughtful when buying supplies to stay within budget and allow us to make as many dolls as possible. Our time management became a problem when we were trying to juggle nursing school, work, and our edge project. We overcame this by becoming more organized and disciplined with our time.

 

We hope that this project benefits children who are staying in the hospital and health care professionals who are working with them. The dolls allow children to have a creative outlet and can also help them to better understand their care. In addition to helping the children, the dolls can help medical staff by giving them a tool to demonstrate with and explain medical care. This increases trust and helps to build relationships between children and healthcare providers. Parents can also benefit from the dolls by seeing their children have something fun to do and have decreased stress.

 

This project benefitted my husband and me by allowing us to give back to children and families in Utah. It was a great experience being able to do something for patients outside of a clinical setting. We were also able to learn valuable lessons about time management, planning, budgeting, and problem-solving. We feel more confident to be able to follow through with a project from start to finish, knowing how to work through problems. Because of our experience with this project, we will be better prepared to accomplish complex goals in the future.