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Information for parents in the Cardiac and Renal Unit

• Introduction
• 7 West contact numbers
• 7 West Routines and Requests 
• Medical Staff
• 7 West's Additional facilities
• Hospital facilities
• Community Resources
• Welfare Service and Entitlements

7 West provides care for children with both cardiac and renal defects. At times it also receives ‘overflow’ patients from alternate wards. The children cared for come from Victoria, other states and territories in Australia, and often from overseas. Assessment,
diagnosis and treatment are all aspects of 7 West’s approach to care. The continual review of surgical procedures, diagnostic techniques and nursing procedures enable us to maintain medical and nursing care at a level equal to that of paediatric cardiac and renal units worldwide. The following information will provide you with details regarding the functions of the ward, medical staff roles and overall hospital guidelines. Please feel free to speak with our qualified staff at any time if you require further assistance during your child’s stay on 7 West.

7 West contact numbers

7 West Routines and Requests

Visiting hours:

• Royal Children Hospital’s visiting hours are between 10am-12.30pm and 2.30pm - 7.30pm. Parents and guardians are welcome to visit, generally, at any time, as may siblings.

Quiet time:

• Please note however, that 7 West has a ‘Quiet Time’ between 12.30pm and 2.30pm.  During these hours we restrict procedures required, visitors (including siblings) and general noise overall. Please help us to keep this period of time as a period of rest for all patients, including your own child.

Doctor's rounds:

• Cardiac rounds occur from approximately 8.30am –9.30am. Parents may remain at patient’s bedside however this is not the case in the Intensive care unit.
• Renal rounds are less specific and occur generally before lunchtime.

Mobile phones:

• No mobile phone use on 7 West please. It interferes with our patient monitors and pacemakers.

Mealtimes:

• *Breakfast: 7.30am    *Lunch: 11.30am    *Dinner: 5.30pm
  
  P.S.A.’s will speak with you and your child to determine meal preferences and will bring the chosen menu to your child at the listed times. Between meals, the kitchen always has drinks and snacks available such as lemonade, juice, cordial, biscuits, fruit and ice cream.

Section/room restrictions:

• Please keep your chair and belongings on the opposite side of the bed to your child’s oxygen and suction unit. Medical and Nursing staff may require this equipment urgently at some time during your child’s stay and also frequently for physiotherapy purposes.
• Parents are able to sleep at the bedside in a reclining chair if they wish. However, it is recommended that you find alternate accommodation to enable yourself some sleep/rest prior to another busy day. Nursing staff will always contact you promptly if your child becomes upset, or if there is a change in your child’s condition
• Please restrict the consumption of food and drinks by parents and visitors as often patients are fasting or fluid restricted. Secondly, hot drinks in the ward lead to an unsafe environment.

About the staff

Medical staff

Within 7 West there is one medical registrar and two medical residents allocated to cardiac patients and either one registrar or resident allocated to renal patients. After hours, and on weekends the roles of these doctors are allocated to a specialty registrar and resident who are updated on your child’s care regularly. The medical staff are available to answer questions about the day to day management of your child’s care. These doctors rotate around the hospital on a three monthly basis. The listed consultants are available to talk to parents on an appointment basis and often on the morning ward round.

Nursing Staff

Unit Manager - Danielle Peucker

There are approximately sixty nursing staff who work on a rotational roster, usually with a patient ratio of one nurse to three or four patients. All nursing staff on 7 West are Registered Nurses, with some nurses qualified as Associate Unit Managers, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Clinical Facilitators. The senior nurses have a broader range of nursing experience and support other Registered Nurses within the ward when required. 7 West also employs Graduate Registered Nurses (Nurses in their first year after graduating from University) who are guided closely by Clinical facilitators and fellow staff.

Nursing staff are the primary care givers to your child. Any questions you have regarding your child’s care should be directed to the nurse looking after your child.

Additional & West staff

Care Managers

These Registered nurses perform a patient care coordinating role in the cardiac unit. This involves working with fellow nurses, and doctors, to ensure patients with more complex conditions and requirements receive the additional care they need to promote a speedy recovery.

Lactation consultant:

Specialist information and assistance with breastfeeding is available from the Lactation Consultant. Generally one nurse on 7 West has this specific role however due to the part-time nature of this position most of the Registered Nurses on 7 West are able to assist with breast feeding problems or concerns.

Preadmission clinic nurse (for cardiac patients only):

The pre-admission clinic nurse assists patients and their families with admission and preoperation formalities, parent/patient education and coordination of all medical tests required before treatment/surgery. Visits to the Intensive Care Unit are arranged for both parents and patients.

Patient service assistants (PSA):

Patient service assistants are allocated several roles within 7 West. They are responsible for serving meals to patients, assisting with errands required by nursing and medical staff, and attending to the cleanliness of 7 West. They are happy to assist you when necessary.

Interdisciplinary Team Staff

Social workers:

Social Workers are available to see any family during a child’s hospitalization. It is our experience that stress is inevitable whilst your child is in hospital. Financial assistance and community links can be discussed with social workers on a daily basis. A social worker will introduce themselves to you in the early stages of your child’s stay, and can be contacted through
the nurse caring for your child.

Physiotherapists:

The physiotherapist plays an important role in your child’s recovery, particularly in the postoperative period when movement is limited. They are generally more involved in cardiac patient care and often meet with and assess your child prior to surgery.

Dieticians:

A dietician is available to discuss any concerns about your child’s diet, fluid intake or weight gain. There is a separate dietician for each specialty on 7 West i.e. cardiac and renal.

Play therapists:

Play therapists provide a program of educational and recreational activities to assist your child in recovery, and to meet developmental needs. They are also quite flexible in involving patient’s siblings in activities but are primarily employed for patient care.
A play therapist is on 7 West from 9am – 12noon, Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Music therapists:

Music therapists are available upon request for individual patients of all ages and often for group activities. They provide live entertainment, involving patients in musical presentations, as well as taped music which is carefully selected with the help of parents.

School teachers:

There is a school situated within the Royal Children’s Hospital. A teacher is available to visit and attend to the educational needs of school age children who require prolonged care within the hospital. Liaison with your child’s school is available if necessary.

Volunteers:

Several volunteers work on 7 West to provide additional help with patient care. For example, they assist the play therapists and help to comfort babies.

Chaplains:

There are full time Anglican, Uniting and Catholic chaplains in the hospital, and all other religions have hospital contacts. Parents who wish to see a chaplain are asked to advise their nurse or social worker. Regular services are held in the chapel on the first floor of the hospital.  Baptisms can be arranged within the hospital also.

Interpreters:

Interpreters are available within the hospital to assist non-English speaking families. Their hours are from 8.30 am to 6pm, seven days a week. There is also an on-call service available if required.

7 West's Additional facilities

Parent waiting room:

• This room is available for 24 hour use by parents, however it is generally used as a waiting room during the day whilst patients are undergoing surgery. There is a television, microwave, coffee making facilities and refrigerator available for your use, and it is expected that parents keep this area clean and tidy.

Expressing room:

• This room is available on a 24 hour basis for mother’s to express breast milk. Portable expressing units are also available for use in your child’s room. Expressed breast milk that is in excess of your baby’s requirements can be stored in the Formula room.

Hospital facilities

Accomodation:

If the distance you live from the hospital precludes you from travelling to and from home each day, a variety of accommodation is available nearby. It is suggested that prior to your child’s admission you make arrangements for accommodation. The hospital has limited parent accommodation facilities. It is not possible to book the hospital parent accommodation in advance, but you can request it on the day of admission, between 9am – 10am, by phoning Ronald McDonald House, Parent Accommodation - 9345 5359, or by contacting the social work department. Preference is always given to breastfeeding mothers and there is a charge for hospital accommodation. There is also a post-natal Mother’s Unit available for mothers and their partner, for care immediately post-birth.

The nursing staff are able to enquire if there is any hospital accommodation when your child is admitted, but they are not responsible for arranging your accommodation.

Toilet facilities:

Public toilets are located on the ground, third, sixth and ninth floors.

5th Floor parent accomodation unit facilities:

It is possible to use laundry and showering facilities in this unit, even if you do not have actual accommodation there. Nursing staff are available to direct you to this destination.

Telephones:

Public telephones are located on the seventh floor adjacent to the lift and similarly on each floor.
Phone cards are available on the first floor from the chemist shop, or from machines on the ground floor next to the public telephones.

Parking:

If your child requires hospitalization for a period lasting longer than three days, a nurse or social worker can provide you with a card that entitles you to discounted parking rates. Any parking infringements that occur while your child is in the hospital, should be discussed with your social worker.

Sibling child care:

Qualified staff provide child care for siblings from 9am –3pm, Monday to Friday. To ask further questions please contact 9345 6795.

Community Resources

Transport

Tram to city via Elizabeth Street: Numbers 49, 59, 52
Tram to city via William Street: Number 55

Shopping

Victoria Market	Vegetables, fruit, meat, clothing and miscellaneous items
Open:	Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday for clothing, footwear and gifts etc.
Located:	Corner Victoria Street and Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
North Melbourne	Shopping centre - within 15 minutes walk of Hospital via Errol Street. Post Office, Supermarkets, etc.

 A more detailed booklet on shopping, eating and recreation facilities is available from the Social Work Department.

Welfare Services and Entitlements

Disability allowance

This allowance may be available to parents of children with a congenital heart defect. It is to assist with costs incurred for treatment of the child's condition, and any costs involved in regular hospital attendances. It is paid by the Department of Social Security in conjunction with Family Allowance. Your social worker will advise you on your eligibility.

Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (V.P.T.A.S.)

This scheme is available to eligible Victorian patients who need to travel a long distance from their home to obtain a range of medical treatments and services. For further details see your social worker. Assistance varies from state to state.

Red Cross Transport - this may be available for outpatient attendances for the metropolitan patients.

Home Help

This is available from municipal councils for families. Families in receipt of Disability Allowance are also eligible for Special Home Help Service that provides a trained care-giver to enable parents some relief, and time to attend to other family matters.