Welcome to the Medical Unit How to contact the Medical Unit Page 2 What to expect with your child s care Page 2 Daily rounds Page 5 Staying overnight and visiting hours Page 5 Keeping your child safe Page 6 Other hospital resources Page 7
Welcome to the Medical Unit How to contact the Medical Unit Level 3, Forest zone 206-987-2026 Level 4, Forest zone 206-987-2031 Level 4, River zone 206-987-6632 From outside the hospital: Dial 206-987-2000 866-987-2000 (toll free) If you need an interpreter: Call 1-866-583-1527. Tell the interpreter the name or extension you need. To protect patient privacy: The unit coordinator will give you a 4-digit code. Your nurse will ask for the code before sharing information about your child over the phone. So we can reach you: Please give your nurse your contact information. After 10 p.m., your call will be transferred to the nurse s phone. All other numbers listed in this brochure are extensions within the hospital and can be dialed as listed (7-####) from any hospital phone If you and your child have just arrived here, it can be hard to know what to expect. Be assured that here at the Medical Unit, we are committed to providing your child with the best possible care, and supporting you and your family through this time. We encourage you to take an active role in your child s healthcare, to trust your instincts and ask questions. We also encourage you to share your concerns as they come up, because your involvement in your child s care makes a big difference. You are an important member of your child s healthcare team. Preparing to go home Once your child has been admitted to the Medical Unit, the healthcare team and you will discuss what we need to do before your child goes home. We will answer your questions and provide you with all of the resources you may need at this time. The specific requirements your child will need to meet before leaving are called discharge criteria. Your healthcare team will work with you and your child each day to meet these goals. Checklist for going home: On the day you are leaving, allow time to do paperwork and complete the family experience survey. Learn how to care for your child at home. We will give you instructions for diet, rest and activities your child can do. Talk with your nurse if you have concerns. Work with your child s nurse to arrange for special home-care equipment or other support. Pick up medicine from the pharmacy, if needed. Ask if you will need a follow-up visit at Children s or with another provider. Plan to talk with your child s teacher and school nurse about going back to school. Use a car seat. Children from birth to age 8 must ride in the correct, age-appropriate infant, car or booster seat. If you do not have one, talk with your child s nurse. Call the Guest Services shuttle line at least 24 hours before you need a ride to the airport, bus, train station or ferry. Call 7-7433 from any hospital phone. What to expect with your child s care We will work with you to make decisions and treatment plans for your child. We encourage you to: Tell us things that will help us to know and care for your child. Speak up right away when you have a question or concern. We expect you to have questions about your child s care, and we want to hear them. Tell us if you notice your child is in pain. 2 of 8
Healthcare team members and roles Children s is a teaching hospital. Your child will receive care from a team that may include many doctors and staff members. Attending doctor: Directs your child s care and supervises the fellows caring for your child. Senior resident (R3): Licensed doctor in their final year of training. The senior resident is in charge of work rounds and oversees the residents. Resident (R1): Licensed doctor who is in training in a pediatric specialty. They will have the most contact with you and your child. They give daily orders for care and update the attending doctor about your child s progress. Medical student: Studying to become a doctor. They may be at your child s clinic visit or take part in rounds with residents or the attending doctor. Registered nurse (RN): Licensed nurse who provides and coordinates most of your child s daily care and education. They are your main contact with other members of the healthcare team. Certified nursing assistant (CNA): Provides basic care to patients as directed by the registered nurse. Nurse tech (NT): Student nurse in their final year of nursing school who assists and supports the registered nurse. Student nurse: Works with an instructor and the registered nurse to provide daily care. Charge nurse (CN): Registered nurse who plans, coordinates and delivers care for each shift. They can answer your questions or concerns if your nurse cannot. Nursing manager/director: Registered nurse who runs the patient care unit. They can answer your questions or concerns if your nurse or charge nurse cannot. Clinical nurse specialist (CNS): Registered nurse with advanced education and training. They oversee quality, safety and staff education. They are a clinical expert and consult on patients with complex care needs. Nurse practitioner (NP): Registered nurse with advanced education and training. They practice independently and work closely with doctors. They diagnose, treat and teach patients and families about serious and chronic conditions. They also make referrals. Respiratory therapist (RT): Evaluates your child s breathing. They may treat breathing problems with oxygen, medications and techniques to clear the airway or a ventilator (breathing machine). Unit coordinator (UC): At the front desk on your unit. They direct families to resources, route calls, make appointments, coordinate procedures and support patient care staff on the unit. TV and movies If your room is in the Forest zone, your child can watch movies, TV, games and health education materials on GetWell Network in their room. See the user guide to get started. If your room is in the River zone, you can watch TV and movies in your room. Ask your nurse about how to get started. 3 of 8
Depending on your child s situation, your care team may also include: Consulting doctors and nurse practitioners Physical, occupational and speech therapists Social worker Child Life specialist Care coordinator Dietitian Pharmacist Lactation specialist Teachers Pain Medicine Team Daily rounds and plan of care Every day, your child s healthcare team of doctors, nurses and specialists will come to the bedside to talk with you about your child s plan of care. This is called rounds. Medical Unit rounds start at 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Ask your nurse when to expect rounds each day. On weekends and holidays, we do not have formal rounds, but doctors will check in with you. During rounds we will: Check on your child. Talk with you about how your child is doing and make a plan for the day. Talk with you about when your child will be ready to go home. This is called a discharge plan. Rounds also offer learning opportunities for medical students, residents and specialists in training. There may be times when other healthcare providers will take part in rounds. Your role during rounds Because you know your child best, we hope you will take part in rounds and use this time to: Share your insights, questions and concerns with the care team. Ask us to explain any terms that are not clear. Using the white board in your child s room The white board on the wall in your child s room is used daily: To list your caregivers To write your child s daily plan of care To update your child s progress toward going home As a place for you to write down your questions 4 of 8
What to expect each day We check your child s vital signs (temperature, breathing and heart rate, as well as blood pressure) around every 4 hours depending on your child s condition. Your nurse will explain your child s medication schedule. At the end of their shift, your nurse will handoff in your child s room. This is when your nurse will pass along important information to the next nurse and do safety checks. This can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Handoff times are: 7 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Please give nonurgent requests to your nurse before or after these times. During handoff, you will meet your new nurse. They will set a time to talk with you about your child s care plan. You may order your child s meals and snacks every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. by calling 7-6368 from a hospital phone and placing your order. Ask your nurse or unit coordinator if you need a menu, and allow 45 minutes for food delivery. Staying overnight and visiting hours Parents and caregivers You may be with your child anytime, day or night. There may be a rare time we may ask you to step out temporarily depending on your child s medical condition. We only have room for 2 parents or caregivers over the age of 18 to sleep at the bedside. For the safety of your child and you, do not sleep on the floor, or with your child in their bed. Your child should not sleep with you in your sleeper chair. Siblings and visitors may not stay overnight. For other lodging options, see the blue book in your child s room titled Your Guide to Seattle Children s. Siblings and visitors Siblings, friends and family may visit between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Everyone must wear their photo name badges at all times. All family members and visitors must check in at the unit coordinator s desk each time they enter the unit. Siblings and children younger than 12 must always be with an adult. When a patient is in an isolation room due to contagious disease: Visitors must be 10 years or older Siblings younger than 10 may be able to visit, but ask your nurse first. We encourage limiting visits to only parents or caregivers. Visitors who are sick or have been exposed to an illness are not allowed on the unit. There may be times when only parents or guardians are allowed to be with their child. This might happen during cold and flu season or when infection risk in high. As a parent or guardian, you must give consent for someone else to take your child from the unit. 5 of 8
Protect your child from infection To keep your child and other patients safe from infection: Wash your hands or use hand-sanitizer gel each time you enter and leave your child s room. Also, wash after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose, and after wiping your child s nose or helping them go to the bathroom. Avoid spreading illness to your child. If you are sick, the best thing is for you to stay home and avoid spreading the infection to your child or other patients. If you must be at your child s bedside, talk with your child s nurse about how to be with your child more safely. Do not visit other patients or families in their room or on the unit. If your child needs formula, talk with the medical team about ordering it. Do not mix formula in your child s room. This puts your child at risk for foodborne illness. When you are staying in a double room, the bathroom in your child s room is for patient use only. We have family bathrooms on the unit for your use. Ask your nurse before bringing food for your child. Please store food in the fridge in the family lounge on your unit, or if there is a fridge in your child s room, you can store food in there. If your child has an illness others may catch, we will put them in a room by themselves. If this happens, your nurse will give you information about what to do. Do not leave opened food or drinks in the room. Throw them away if they have not been used for 1 to 2 hours. Keep your child safe Keeping your child safe is our main priority, but we also need your help. For your child s health and safety: Keep ID bands and name badges on at all times. We will check your child s ID before giving each medicine and doing tests or procedures. Take part in daily rounds. Ask your nurse before taking your child from their room. If an alarm on an equipment sounds, let the nurse know right away. If you see that another child needs help, tell your child s nurse instead of trying to help the child yourself. Raise and lock the side rails or crib rails of your child s bed when they are in bed. Protect your child from falls. Your nurse will talk with you if your child is at risk. Keep cell phones, tablets and related devices quiet. Do not use these devices at all near EEG equipment. Ask your nurse before taking pictures, video or audio recordings of your child or care provider. Only Mylar (foil-type) balloons are allowed in the hospital. 6 of 8
Medicine safety We will ask you about medicines, vitamins and herbs your child is taking when you come into the hospital and again when you leave. We will ask you about known allergies. If your child has any, we will place an ID band on them identifying the allergy. Do not give your child any medicines, vitamins or herbs from your home supply. Your nurse will talk with you about each medicine we give to your child. Keep all medicines, diaper creams and other lotions away from small children. Other hospital resources for you and your child Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) This team: Helps you communicate with your child s healthcare team Helps you get a better picture of your child s current health status, make medical decisions and plan for the future Focuses on your child s quality of life when they are faced with a potentially life-threatening illness To reach PACT: Call 7-4751. Bioethics consultations: Help with difficult care decisions A bioethics consultation can: Help clarify thoughts and values and gather relevant information Tell you if laws and policies are relevant to your child s situation Communicate with your care team and help with disagreements about your child s care Offer advice but not tell you what to do or make a decision for you For a bioethics consultation: Talk to your child s care team or dial 0 and ask the hospital operator to page the bioethics consultant on call. More hospital resources Look inside Your Guide to Seattle Children s, the blue book in your child s room, for more information about hospital services, including: Social work, counseling, financial support and spiritual care Getting around the hospital Where to get food Places to stay Showers, laundry and other amenities at the Family Resource Center Phones, computers and Internet access Transportation Activities for your family 7 of 8
To Learn More Medical Unit Level 3, Forest zone 206-987-2026 Level 4, Forest zone 206-987-2031 Level 4, River zone 206-987-6632 Ask your child s healthcare provider www.seattlechildrens.org Free Interpreter Services In the hospital, ask your child s nurse. From outside the hospital, call the toll-free Family Interpreting Line 1-866-583-1527. Tell the interpreter the name or extension you need. 4800 Sand Point Way NE PO Box 5371 Seattle, WA 98145-5005 206-987-2000 866-987-2000 (Toll-free for business use only) www.seattlechildrens.org Seattle Children s provides healthcare for the special needs of children regardless of race, sex, creed, ethnicity or disability. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho. Seattle Children s offers interpreter services for Deaf, hard of hearing or non-english speaking patients, family members and legal representatives free of charge. Seattle Children s will make this information available in alternate formats upon request. Call the Family Resource Center at 206-987-2201. This handout has been reviewed by clinical staff at Seattle Children s. However, your child s needs are unique. Before you act or rely upon this information, please talk with your child s healthcare provider. 2017 Seattle Children s, Seattle, Washington. All rights reserved. 11/17 PE077 Medical 8 of 8 Unit