General Information
Your Child’s Stay
Your Child's Hospital Room
Your child's room was designed for comfort. A nurse call button and TV controls are located at the bedside. Each patient room has a telephone and a thermostat, which can be adjusted.
The room has a small closet and bedside table for personal belongings, a color TV, a rest room for patient use only, a chair for visitors, and a corner shelf for flowers and cards. A table that is pulled over the bed at mealtimes also can be used for other activities.
Smoking is not permitted in patient rooms or anywhere else in the hospital, with the exception of a smoking room at the rear of Level 4.
Your Child's Meals
Your child will receive a meal at regularly scheduled meal times. The Patient Meal Services Program provides patients with nutritionally balanced meals based on the diet order prescribed by their physician. Our nutrition staff will talk with you and your child daily to determine food preferences and verify that all meals meet the patient's prescribed diet order.
- Patients are encouraged to check with their physician or Registered Dietician about dietary restrictions before eating any food brought in by visitors. Food brought by visitors may interfere with proper dietary management.
- Certain tests may require that your child not eat for a period of time. When this happens, we will deliver your child's meal immediately after the tests.
- Guest trays are available for parents or visitors, and may be ordered by calling the same number used to order patient meals (6368). A payment of $3.50 for breakfast and $5.00 for lunch or dinner is expected at the time of delivery.
Hospital Routine
Each morning your child's physicians will make rounds to note the progress of your child's recovery. This is a good time to ask the doctors questions about your child's condition. Medical tests and treatments usually are scheduled in the morning as well.
During the day, patients are encouraged to walk the corridors and resume their normal routine as much as possible.
Nursing staff monitor patients' vital signs - temperature, pulse, respiration rate, and blood pressure - throughout the day and sometimes during the night. Medications are given throughout the day and night, as ordered by physicians.
How to Call for Assistance
If your child needs immediate attention or help, press the nurse call button in the siderail of your bed, or use the telephone to call a member of the nursing staff. If your child needs to get up during the night, call the nurse on duty for help.
Staying With Your Child
Because hospitalization can be a frightening experience for any child, we encourage one parent or other adult family member to stay overnight with the child throughout his or her hospital stay, if possible. A sleeper chair is provided. Please return it to its upright position by 8 a.m. each morning. Siblings are not permitted to stay in the child's room at night, and visitors are not permitted to occupy patient beds.
Most hospitalized children need specialized nursing care 24 hours a day. We know this conflicts with usual sleep routines. However, we try to allow as much sleeping time as possible for you and your child.
You may use the shower in your child's room. The nursing staff will supply you with towels, washcloths, and soap.
Gift Guidelines
- Avoid toys with small, removable parts that could be swallowed.
- Select toys and activities appropriate to the child's needs and physical capabilities.
- Send home gifts that will not be used while the child is in the hospital.
- Mark all personal toys and gifts with the child's last name.
- Only non-latex Mylar balloons are permitted in children's hospital rooms.
- The hospital is not responsible for toys left at bedside.
Child Life
The Child Life Program at WVU Children's Hospital helps ease the trauma, stress and anxiety associated with hospitalization. Patients may participate in supervised play at the bedside or in the children's playroom.
Activities include video games and videotapes, arts and crafts, games and books. Play is supervised by a certified child life specialist, child life students in training, and volunteers. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, including weekends.
- Other activities include:
- supervised exploration of real medical equipment
- therapeutic play opportunities for children to express fears and feelings
- birthday and holiday celebrations
- visits from costumed characters, therapy dogs, athletes, student groups, etc.
- For more information, call the Child Life Department at 598-4365.