Pediatrics

 
THE FAMILY IS A SYSTEM... 
A change in any one part affects all other parts. To provide optimal care for a hospitalized child, each family member must be considered a "patient".

WELCOME TO PEDIATRICS! 

The unit is located on Five South and consists of 28 beds, three of which are close observation beds. The staff consists primarily of nurses but is supplemented with PCT’s, one unit clerk and one unit hostess. All of the licensed staff are either PALS or NRP certified, with two of them being instructors. Three staff members have national certification and three are ENPC certified.

The pediatric patient population consists of infant’s 48 hours old to children up to 12 years. The staff primarily treats general pediatric illnesses, which often times are seasonal in nature. Growth and development play a vital role in the care of pediatric patients. The staff must know the stages of development in order to communicate and treat infants and children effectively. For instance, infants require an environment that meets their basic needs of comfort, hunger, and security, which can be provided by gentle touch, speaking softly at close range, and being held during feedings. On the other hand toddlers want their parents to provide those things for them, and direct eye contact is threatening unless they have had a chance to get to know you. Preschoolers are concrete thinkers, very imaginative, and take everything you say literally. They believe their illness and what happens to them or their family is a direct result of their "being bad" or having angry thoughts or feelings. School age children are also concrete thinkers, but are beginning to think abstractly. They have a strong sense of fairness and the ability to tell right from wrong. Praise, a sense of accomplishment, and a feeling of control are necessary elements in the effective care of school age children. With all age groups, parental involvement and honesty are essential and it is important to explain care in terms everyone understands.

Education for both parent and child are necessary for treatment of illnesses and also for prevention. Literature is available for a variety of illnesses as well as information to help parents work through the different stages of their child's development.

PLAY!

Yes, the pediatric staff plays, because play is the work of children. It is how they deal with their fears and anxieties as well as learn new tasks and skills that will take them to the next level of their development. When you visit the unit, you will often find children and parents in the playroom, artwork displayed at the nurses' station and in the hallway, and children attached at the hip of nurses (literally). You could say pediatrics is one of the few places in the hospital where patients "take their toys and go home".