I am back now working in the ER again, but this time I am bringing my best close up magic with me. I had a nice time at the children's hospitals, but now it is time to find the best approach to Emergency Magic. This is going to be very interesting! Relieving stress and anxiety during the off beat (those gaps between emergencies), will be a real challenge. I'll let you know how it goes. Placing an IV with minimal discomfort on the first stick always has been my best trick!

Hehe. Can you do my wife's blood-draws? Her veins roll and she's a hard stick...

On a serious note, are you performing for the staff, patients or both?

I have to be much more selective in the ER for appropriate magical moments. Primarily the ideal spectator is a low acuity pediatric patient, in the ER for a non serious complaint.Asthma kids are great also after they are stabilized and are waiting during the down time between breathing treatments. I did a lot more magic when I was at the Children's hospital full time. Since I am in a community hospital ER now, I have a lot more serious situations than I had before.

I guess you've replaced your "quarter out of the ear" trick with the ol' "bullet out of the leg."

Here's a message for the folks packing heat out there, never try the bullet catch at home it won't turn out well for you. Trust me.

I'm enjoying your humor. Remember Rob, "A sick mind... is a terrible thing to waste".

Since I am a pastor I spend a fair amount of time in the hospital ER, although it comes in spurts (sorry, couldn't resist!) When I get called, though, it is usually not 'low acuity pediatric' patients, it tends to be serious and many times end-of-life situations. This thread is making me think of other situations where magic might be of more use. Maybe in a rehab hospital, things like that. Thanks for inspiring me!

I'm an ER nurse myself. I've never done much magic tricks there, other than some rubberband tricks and the Slydini toilet paper trick. Good for you!

Thanks so much for all you do... D'Lites are the first recommendation I'd never hesitate to repeat. And they don't get in the way if you need to ditch em and use your hands for actual medical purposes.

I would think that a lot of hospitals would not appreciate magic in an emergency room setting. That could potentially be very offensive to those who are waiting for people with serious injuries, even if you're not focused on them. Especially if they find out you are a staff member - people tend to think that if every staff member isn't busy, then they're waiting for no reason.

Noone in the ER waits for no reason, and You are wrong to assume that the seriousness of the environment is not considered. Hospitals are buildings and are incapable of feelings. People however appreciate good bedside manner when dealing with a CARE provider. Taking a moment to cheer someone up during the course of their treatment, at appropriate times, is a good thing. Let us not wrongly assume that a professional RN or physician is playing around or wasting time when they show genuine kindness to their patients though a simple magic trick or other gesture like a hug, or holding a hand. Maybe you have come to expect far less from your medical providers; It is nurses like ME who value YOU more than than that.

A good trick for the ER would be ambitious card or misers dream

Thanks for this thread, its exactly what I was thinking. I am a dad who has had experiences with my own kids at the local children's hospital ER (high fevers mostly), and thanks to the triage system, I noticed many other non-critical patient-families waiting for long periods... at any time of the day or night 24/7/365.... which would make a great gig for me since I work 5 days a week, and with magic as a hobby I don't necessarily want to spend my weekends and evenings with people other than my family; once my kids are in bed however, I could spend a few hours at the ER waiting room any day of the week! My wife made the same caution though, respect and tact MUST be the hallmark. maybe instead of an approach, I could set up a table with a sign that says "Long wait? I can show you a magic trick, just ask!"

D'you think it'd work? Im not a nurse, or any kind of staffer, so I don't know if I could get the trust upfront from the powers that be (that I would be respectful and appropriate)

When I was a US Navy Hospital Corpsman, working in a Naval Hospital ER, I saw lots of people, of all ages, in all kinds of mental and physical distress. I learned one of the most powerful tools I could use was distraction. When people focus on pain or fear, that's their world and it just keeps building. With children, especially, if they are distracted from what's going on with them (or their parent/s reactions) they often feel better. I used it a lot and it worked great.

What I'd suggest (after getting permission from administration and ER staff) is asking a parent if you could show their child a magic trick to help them feel better. Showing the admin/staff samples of what you will do (so they know it doesn't involve shock or noise) would be a good idea.

It's great you want to do this, good luck and let us know how it goes.

I am so glad to hear stories of other folks bringing their art into the clinical setting. It is needed now more than ever. Our healthcare delivery system is the worst its ever been. We need more acts of kindness to offset the inhumanity of our current system. Caregivers are ever more trapped at computer screens than actually working at the bedside interacting with their patients. Taking a moment to share something special, helps both the practitioner and the patient connect in a meaningful way. We the people caught up in this system can have a bi-directional caring experience when we introduce a performance art into the care model. Magic, Music, Comedy, Poetry all works to our benefit.

All the Best. God Bless you. Regards, Raj.

Nurse Rob, I'm with you 110%! Magic and pure clowning is the ultimate equalizer in the hospital environment. Just a thought, I use the tongue depressor by performing the p****e move with it. Ill glance the patients name and write it on one side with my sharpie. The reveal is done in the fist by pushing it out (much like a card through the hand reveal). The results are magical

Nice, anytime you can make a sick person smile is a plus upstairs.

I do not have a medical background but I always take sanitation in consideration when deciding which tricks to use in a hospital setting. In other words, I would never exchange sponge balls with a patient, or even have them shuffle a deck of cards. As magicians we must be very careful that we don't open up the opportunity for the unsafe exchange of germs, diseases, virus etc., between patients, particularly when going from room to room. Nurse Rob may have a comment on this subject.

Although I have used magic on hospital Chemical Dependency units ,
I never used magic while consulting in the E. R.

I can see it useful by the right staff and right patient moment.

My thanks for sharing there and here.