Surgery or hospitalization

Inpatient care

We understand how stressful hospitalization can be for a child and a family, so we've taken extra steps to make a child's stay as comfortable as possible. If your child has a special need, please feel free to ask the staff. We are here to help.

Each patient's room includes a bed or crib, a cot or couch for a parent to sleep on, a private bathroom and shower that parents can use, a television and VCR, a bedside table, a dresser and a telephone. One parent or legal guardian is welcome to stay overnight. Parents and guardians can visit 24 hours a day. Let us know if your child prefers a bed or a crib to sleep in. A family room on most units has a microwave, coffeemaker and table available for use by patients and families.

There are also treatment rooms on each floor, where minor procedures or treatments can be performed. These are done in a separate room so the child's own room remains a safe haven. Most other procedures are done on other floors.

What to bring
Favorite things from home can help ease a child's uncertainty about staying at the hospital.

	Please feel free to bring a familiar pillow, quilt or special blanket, pajamas, nonslip slippers and bathrobe.
	Small toys, stuffed animals, iPod or favorite videotapes are welcome. There are also toys, tapes and arts and crafts materials available through the Child Life staff and in the playrooms.
	Food from home may be brought in only if okayed by the nutritionist or medical staff. Fresh fruits and vegetables should generally be avoided.
	Pets should be left at home. However, once a week a volunteer brings specially trained dogs into the hospital to visit with any child who would like to do so.
	Cellular phones or wireless devices should not be brought into the hospital.

Being admitted
Nurses who care for pediatric patients are highly trained to manage the special needs of our patients. Your child will be assigned a primary nurse who will oversee and coordinate all of the child's care. If a child is ever re-admitted, the same nurse takes care of the child again, when possible.

Upon admission, the nurse meets with each patient to determine the child's past medical history, likes and dislikes, progress in school, sleeping and toilet habits. It's helpful if parents or guardians inform the nurse of any religious or cultural values or beliefs that might be of importance in caring for your child. Your child's vital signs are also taken and your child is examined by a physician.

How siblings can help
Having a child in the hospital affects not only parents, but brothers and sisters at home. Parents should take steps to make sure the lives of children at home remain as normal as possible. Children often want to know what they can do to help their hospitalized brother or sister. Here are some ideas

	Write letters or draw pictures.
	Tape a message or read a story aloud to be replayed at the hospital.
	Make a video to play at the hospital.

In addition, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital offers SibShops, which are special workshops for siblings of hospitalized children. If you have any concerns about the way a sibling is coping with a brother's or sister's illness, please contact the Child Life specialist on the unit.



Learn more
• YNHH Health Library: The Child Having Surgery

Last revised:Jan. 8, 2008 (dh)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.