Acute Care Pediatrics Unit (3F Peds/5 West)

Visitation

• Parents/legal guardians may visit 24 hours a day. Close family members are also welcome. Visitors must call to request entry into the unit. Waiting rooms are available immediately outside the unit for your comfort while you wait to come into the unit. For your child’s safety and security, all parents and visitors must obtain a purple visitor badge or purple ID band from the front desk. The number of visitors may be limited as deemed appropriate by the nursing staff. Children under 18 years old must be supervised by an adult family member at all times. Your family’s clergy may visit, with your permission, at any time.
• For safety reasons, visitors are not allowed to sit in chairs with wheels. We have provided comfortable chairs without wheels in each patient’s room. Visitors must allow staff clear access to the patient and equipment at all times.
• Visitors are welcome provided that they have no cold or flu symptoms (fever, runny nose, cough, etc.). Parents/legal guardians that intend to stay with their child during the hospital stay must also be free of illness. Hand cleansing is the single most important action to prevent infection. All visitors must wash their hands for 15 seconds or use the provided hand cleanser upon entering and leaving the patient’s room.
• You are welcome and encouraged to participate in your child’s daily care. Please plan accordingly with your child’s nurse.

Patient Confidentiality and Telephones

• Updates regarding your child are generally given only to the parents/legal guardians.
• Parents/legal guardians may call the unit at any time to speak to their child’s nurse or doctor. Our pediatric team will share all information about your child with you.
• To protect your child’s privacy, information will be given to other family and friends only with the permission of the parents/legal guardians. If you would like us to share information with other family members or friends, we utilize a personalized code number. Share this code number with those you choose to receive information. Callers with the number will have their questions answered. Callers without the number will be directed to call you for any information.
• Please also remember that it is helpful if you designate one family member to relay information about your child. Multiple phone calls to the bedside nurse take time away from the care your nurse is providing to your child. The staff cannot discuss any information regarding other patients.
• When you leave the unit, please ensure that the nurse has a phone number where you can be reached in case there’s a change in your child’s condition and we need to contact you.

Patient Safety

Your child will need to wear an ID band at all times to help staff properly identify the patient. If your child has any allergies, he or she will also need to wear a red allergy band to alert staff of these allergies. This is very important for your child’s safety.

Your Pediatric Unit Nursing Team