PICU Did You Know?

I can't let them see me cry!

Caring together: Information on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for parents

Upon admission, your child will be examined, connected to a monitor as well as an intravenous IV line and given immediate treatment. You will be able to see him as soon as possible. Your child's doctor and nurse will share with you whatever information is available at the time, and try to answer your questions clearly. Before your entry into the unit, someone will explain the precautions to take before you enter, such as hand washing, for instance, and will describe what you can expect to see.

• Histoire de lEstonie : Et de la nation estonienne (Bibliothèque finno-ougrienne) (French Edition).
• Pediatric intensive care unit | Winnipeg Health Region.
• Parents Stories : Lonah Boutique.
• Idée ditinéraire au Mexique : Dans les pas de Frida Kahlo (French Edition).
• Life in the PICU | HuffPost Life;
• When Your Child's in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (for Parents)?
• ?

Our team believes in being honest and open. Regular updates will be provided. We encourage you to ask questions and to let us know if something seems unclear.

MORE IN Parenting

In stressful situations, parents have told us that they often forget what they wanted to ask when they met members of the team. It may be a good idea to jot down some of your questions as they arise. Parents may need to ask the same questions several times. This is not unusual in these circumstances and we urge you to ask your questions as often as necessary. An intensive care environment can be quite intimidating, with its many unfamiliar sights and sounds.

It may even be difficult to focus on your child with all the equipment and activity around you. While this new environment might seem overwhelming at first, the PICU team can help you better understand what is happening around you and your child. The staff member bringing you into the PICU will let you know about some of the things you can expect to see and hear. Your child's nurse can familiarize you with some of the equipment and explain the activities going on around him. Feel free to ask questions and raise any concerns you may have with the team as they arise.

One of the things that helped us a lot, said Julie's parents, "was getting clear explanations -- about the equipment, the people around, the rules and the activities. Martin's dad sometimes had the impression that he was in Grand Central Station. In time, he was able to sort out who was able to sort out who was who and how the related to Martin's care. For the most part, people introduced themselves, and if they did not, he would ask.

The PICU has a large multidisciplinary team made up of various health professionals with different specialties and skills. Your child will be assigned a nurse, and at least one doctor or Advanced Practice Nurse APN will be responsible for his medical care. These health professionals will be most closely involved with you and your child and are a good source of information. Although it is not always possible, we do try to have the same nurses caring for your child throughout your hospital stay. You can attend and participate if you choose. A member of the PICU team will follow up with you after daily morning rounds to give you more information and explanations, if needed.

Other members of the PICU team may be involved in caring for your child or helping your family. Please do not hesitate to ask them about their roles. You will also meet parents of some of the other patients in the PICU. Even though each child's situation is unique, some parents have found comfort in talking with others going through a similar experience. We encourage you to do so if you feel it would be helpful.

They were afraid that they would be in the way. Tina's parents were torn between their desire to be with her and their other responsibilities. After discussing it with her nurse, they arranged for her favourite aunt to spend the afternoon with her since they could only be there in the evenings. Having regular contact with a parent or family member is an important part of your child's care in the PICU.

Parents are welcome in the PICU anytime, for as long as they wish. If you both choose to stay overnight, only one parent can sleep in the child's room and the other parent can stay in the family lounge, if space is available. You may be asked to step out of your child's room temporarily for reasons that will be discussed with you. You may feel pulled in many directions and it may be helpful for you to talk about this with your child's nurse, doctor or another member of the team.

Some parents have found their own special way to be present with their child even during periods when they could not be there: Visiting hours for people other than parents are limited for safety reasons. For safety reasons, any visitors in the hallway or outside the sixth floor elevators will be directed to the Promenade. That way there were never too many at one time and also, the parents had some time to spend together, just the two of them. I also think that he must have heard some of those things, and they made him want to get better As a parent, you know your child best.

Sharing some personal information about him is important for his care. How do you usually reassure him when he is frightened or sick at home? What kind of things does he like? Who are the important people in his life? Any additional information you can provide can help us make sure he is as comfortable as possible. Bringing pictures of your child and some important family members and friends will make the environment a bit friendlier and will help the team get to know your child better.

If you think it can be helpful, you can bring his favorite toy or blanket, as well as drawings and greeting cards made by his friends or classmates. During the times you cannot be with your child, we can organize to have your voice or his favorite music recorded. It is also important to think about taking time to take care of yourself during the time that your child is in the PICU.

So we took time, the same night, to write down all the important phone numbers and carried them with us all the time. Sounds silly, but it helped us to do something useful. I was so afraid of bringing Shauna, my 4-year-old, to see Mark after his accident.

He was unconscious and on a respirator. We explained things before, she had a million questions. When we told her that he might be able to hear her but he couldn't talk, she just said 'Hi Mark, I love you'. Everyone in the family has to quickly shift into "emergency survival mode". This can work well for a short time, but problems can arise if it goes on for too long. Getting some things back to normal, or as normal as possible, is important but not so easy; especially if a crisis is prolonged. Your other children need to feel they are part of the family, even during a crisis, and can benefit from being included in ways that are appropriate to their age.

We can help you prepare them for what they will see and hear before they visit their sibling. The visit may be fairly short because of the constraints of the PICU. We encourage you to talk to the staff about your other children. There are many ways that your children can be involved, for instance, by making and sending cards and drawings to their brother or sister in the PICU. Receiving regular updates with an opportunity to ask questions is also a way of being involved. Children are affected by whatever happens in their family. Sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings is important and may help them feel less isolated and more supported.

Did you know that the Pica d'Estats is the highest mountain in Catalonia?

It is often difficult to estimate the length of the hospital stay when a child is in the PICU. Taking care of yourself for example, by eating regular nutritious meals and taking periods of rest is important to maintain your health for the long haul. That was okay for a couple of days but then it got out of hand. We all got tired and mad all the time The medical team meets every day, usually in the morning, to discuss each patient's case in detail; these discussions are known as rounds.

You may see a group of doctors, nurses, and others walking from patient to patient, planning the medical care for each patient. During rounds, you may be asked to stay in your child's room or instructed to not enter or exit the PICU. This is to protect the privacy of other patients. Family-centered patient care might be practiced in the PICU. If this is the case, you'll be asked to participate in your child's daily rounds. If you're not present for rounds or don't want to participate, the attending physician will inform you of the daily goals for your child by phone or in person.

By understanding everyone's role and how each contributes, you may find the group of people caring for your child less intimidating. Possibly the most alarming aspect of the PICU environment is the medical equipment that may be attached to your child. The machines have alarms and display panels, and the noise and lights can be overwhelming.

Life in the PICU

In the PICU, all of your child's physical needs will be met by the staff. You, as a parent, are there to provide emotional support, love, and a familiar voice or touch. However, you shouldn't feel as if you have to stay at your child's bedside every minute of the day. Getting away from the commotion of the PICU briefly or even leaving the hospital grounds can help you gather your thoughts. Staying around the clock with a child who's in the PICU for more than a few days can be both physically and emotionally draining.

Although some hospitals let parents spend the night with their child, some do not. If the hospital allows parents to spend the night, the decision whether to stay in your child's room is yours. Either way, the PICU staff will support you and reassure you that your child will be well cared for. Whatever you do, make sure you get enough rest to be able to support your child throughout the PICU stay.

While some patients are sent home directly from the PICU, many are transferred to a regular floor of the hospital for further, less-intense monitoring and follow-up care.

• When Your Child's in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit;
• Petit livre de - Fibrissime ! (French Edition);
• Obstetrics/Gynecology: Vaccine-Preventable Diseases/Surgical Staging for Endometrial Cancer (Audio-Digest Foundation Obstetrics/Gynecology Continuing Medical Education (CME). Book 58).
• Contact Us?

Still, discharge from the PICU is a significant milestone on the road to recovery. But leaving the PICU might also cause some anxiety. It's not unusual for parents of kids who were in the PICU to think, "He was so sick and now he's better. But shouldn't he stay here until he's completely back to normal?

Caring for a critically ill child is always stressful and difficult. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. More on this topic for: