I loved Shoot's Ninja DVD it was easy to follow. Although It was great to study, I could not have really owned the routine without the help of Christopher Lyle who spent more than just a little time helping me perfect the moves. It is good to have friends in magic! Now if I could just find a thimble guy in my hometown..I'd be golden.

I'm a EMT, I almost ALWAYS perform for children during our transport time to the hospital, given that I can perform my various assessments and render patient care first and/or during. If I am riding with a third provider, or it's a routine medical transport I'm doing various effects almost the entire time enroute to the facility. I am lucky that I am based (mostly) out of one local hospital and I am VERY close with a lot of the ER staff members. This allows me the chance to take an extra few minutes "finishing paperwork aka performing magic" before coming available for any children that I see in the ER. But I don't limit myself to performing just for children, I perform for most of my patients, even if I'm just using quick little lines that are used in my effect patter. The hospital and pre-hospital enviroment is wonderful for performing magic in, it suspends those moments of stress, sickness, and pain.

I've performed while giving tours of the station, doing standbys, parades, and special events. In fact, this past summer I had to chance to perform for about 30 children and 15-20 parents all crowded around the back of my ambulance doing standby for a middle school football game.

I like having the ability to get the patients mind off of the situation and inject some fun into the hospital and pre-hospital experience. It is very rewarding.

WOW Mysticman, awesome to hear about a first responder out there performing!! The greatest thing about being a medical magician, is that when we perform it comes as a surprising relief of anxiety, or at least an added benefit to our patient contacts. Many first responders have toys or stuffed bears to help provide comfort to kids in these tough situations, as a magician you can offer a lot more than fluff!! grats and welcome to this forum, look forward to hearing more!

Hi everybody- what a great thread. So, I'm not alone.... I didn't think so. I'm a registered nurse working at a pediatric/psychiatric facility in San Francisco. I work with kids who are severly emotionally disturbed, often having suffered abuse, neglect and in-utero exposure to drugs. One day a child was being restrained by the staff (he was attempting to injure himself), and I was able to convince him to take some medication to calm himself down by performing a coin trick my father taught me 40 years earlier. I instantly gained the child's attention and was able to help him get out of the situation he was in at the time. That day I became a magician. That was about 8 years ago. I'm still employed at the same facility and perform magic for the kids every day. To them, I'm Steve the magician more than Steve the nurse. I've branched out into library shows and magic competitions, but really I'm a magician for these special kids. Thanks for letting me share. It's good to know that others are using magic the same way.
--Steve Bosque

Welcome to the club, Steve. Great story!

Yep Steve, you've definitely seen the light.. the power of magic to help kids in a number of medical situations is amazing to me to this very day. There is no way to measure the benefits patients gain from caregivers like us, but we see it work time and time again! Magic is an awesome vehicle for making life better for those entrusted to our care. Lets keep the candle burning for other nurses and docs who have yet to see the light as we have!

If anyone is interested I wrote an article regarding Magic and The Healthcare Professional.

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.magic......e4f0b2d#

I wrote it in a public and permanent forum because I don't want my ideas to be proptery of any one -private- forum.

-Al Hastings

Id be interested in how to make balloon animals from latex gloves, Al. Please post the video somewhere - it sounds like fun!

jeff in san diego

Al, I can appreciate your reasons for the separation of nursing and magic for your personal preferences, but the negative ethical impact you describe just does not apply in all settings or situations

A cheezy hack magician is not appropriate ANYWHERE, much less a hospital, and if the part-time hack/medical professional is doing it to feed his own ego or birthday show calender, then Yes that is SSSOOooooo wrong!!

I agree, the ICU is one thing, so is the OR or other settings which clinical focus must be maintained. I would hope the Medical Professional is smart enough to know when the use of magic as a distraction is therapeutic or not.

In pediatrics, there is much more leeway for age appropriate distraction: music, arts, crafts, clowns, and yes even magic. Pediatric medical staff should know how to interact appropriately with patients of all developmental levels, and properly employ stress relieving techniques. Non-pharmicalogical anxiolysis is not only good medical practice, but healthy and highly desireable for our patient populations. The benefits are well documented. In fact there are child life specialists, recreational thereapists, music therapists, and others who focus on helping patients cope with stress within the hospital.

Doctors and nurses are not out of their scope if they incorporate similar techniques in their practice. Magic, applied appropriately, by skilled and compassionate caregivers, enhances the patient experience when you can make them laugh and smile!

Well spoken, Rob.
--Steve

Hey Guys,
I just found this thread... I work in a very large 8 hospital system, I used to teach Physicians over 21 different computer systems but have moved over to a PACS site Coordinator, the guy that takes care of all of the digital Imaging. When Copperfield first started Project Magic A guy named Rory & I were 2 of the first magicians to jump on that and we had a blast taking it to the hospitlas. We have a children's hospital real close by and they pretty much give me an open door policy. Lots of times I would get a call from one of the pediatric physicians or surgeons to come on over and bring my bag of tricks..
Then years later project Magic kinda died out & Kevin SPencer pushed out Healing with magic, basically the same program without the politics.
When I was at the largest hospital it was right next door to the children's hospital with a cross-over in the middle of the 2 buildings. That got used on a weekly basis but now I'm an hour and a half away. I'm thinking it would be great to get the new SAM assembly with all of it's new members to come together and do a show for the kids....The CHKD changed the visiting kids rules to have to be 18 which cut out a lot of our kids in the SYM assembly.
This is a really great thread and hope it continues to roll along and gather new members.

Bill

Im EMT-A and work around hospitals all the time. Unfortunatly it seems that magic, baloon models ect seem to be regarded as vastly inappropriate in the places that I work. It seems that its regarded as 'showing off'. Its a real shame

Howdy Bill, Welcome to the thread! I would really like to get involved in a program like project magic, in my area..I am hoping to promote the use of therapuetic magic distraction, and teaching to patients and other caregivers.

Lozey, nice to see another first responder in this thread. I was an ER trauma nurse, and have many EMT friends. Welcome!

On a similar note, Kevin and Cindy Spencer ----- "The Spencers" http://www.spencersmagic.com/ have an occupational and behavioral therapy program called "Healing of Magic".

It is is geared more towards using magic as therapy, but it is worth taking at peek at: http://www.magictherapy.com/index.html

To all, keep the magic flowing.

Doug

This is a wonderful thread, and, reading NurseRob's above story, made my day.

Thanks for the kind words Turk. Working in a pediatric hospital has been a real blessing for my journey in magic. There is no better purpose for magic than to make these kids forget about their troubles for a time.

Anyone have any new stories to tell.. we've been really busy this summer so far...I've learned to move faster, and tighten my routines more. More RN's are calling me out to perform for their patients too..I am surprised my co workers continue to endulge my oddities so regularly.

Ditto, Rob. Very busy over the past few months.

As I have been making "magic" housecalls to some of my elderly patients over the years, I decided to kick it up a notch and create a formal program, in conjunction with my local hospice. It's called "The Magic of Hospice" whereby I (or some friends) visit hospice patients at their homes (or wherever) and perform close-up/comedy magic for them. We usually end up doing about an hour. It's a lot of fun and extremely rewarding. For some pictures and info on this program, go to http://www.medicine-in-motion.com/magic_of_hospice.htm

Hope y'all are having a fun summer (despite working so hard)!

jeff in san diego

p.s.

On an unrelated matter, I will be working as a volunteer physician for the Sorcerer's Safari Magic Camp in Ontario for one week at the end of this month! Can't wait!

Hello,

I'm a Respiratory Therapist and incorporate Magic when appropriate.

Being that I was a full time professional Magician before I got into Respiratory, Magic is much more rewarding now used as a depression breaker with my Patients. jbrealmagic

Welcome to the Café JB, glad to have you in this forum as well. You are among friends here!!

Doc, your hospice housecall program looks fantastic. I am so impressed by your courage to take your magic to this patient population. My hat is off to you Jeff, once again you are my medical magic hero!! I think the emotional toll would be a lot higher for the magician, but what an awesome gift to give!

I haven't been to camp in decades, nary a magic one at that...sounds like a great time!