Baystate Health Pediatric Patient Guide

As a patient at a Baystate Health hospital, you will be interacting with many members of our care team. Each day, there will be a doctor and registered nurse who are responsible for your care, and they will keep you informed about your condition, medications, and schedule for the day. You will also interact with various other members of the team, such as patient care technicians, dieticians, social workers, environmental services staff, and medical interpreters. Our team members will work in partnership with you and your loved ones throughout your stay.

We embrace a patient- and family-centered care philosophy that values a patient’s family as an integral part of the patient care team.

• Visiting hours are held daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a limit of three visitors at one time.
• One adult designated support person will be permitted to be present 24 hours per day throughout the patient's stay.
• There are sleep cots, bathrooms and showers available for guest use. Please ask your caregiver for locations.
• Children under the age of 18 are welcome during the day with adult supervision, however, are not allowed to stay overnight.
• All visitors are asked to be as quiet as possible while walking in the hallways or in patient rooms so other patients are not disturbed.
• There will be times when we have to restrict visitors, especially when there are safety, health exposure or security risks. Please speak to your caregivers if you have any questions about this policy.
• We ask that visitors share our goal in promoting a healing environment for all patients and adhere to our visiting hours and policies. Baystate Health and its employees reserve the right to ask visitors to leave a patient’s room at any time for the patient’s clinical or emotional well-being.

Learn more about Baystate Health’s Visitor Policy.

Our spiritual services team provides support and comfort to patients of diverse cultures, traditions, and beliefs.

Patients or their loved ones may request support or spiritual care from a chaplain, including end-of-life comfort and rituals, by speaking to their nurse or calling 413-794-2899. Each of our hospitals feature interfaith chapels and prayer spaces, which are accessible to patients 24/7.

During your stay, doctors, nurses, and staff will respect the uniqueness of your child and your family and will include you in the plan of care. You are the center of the healthcare team!

Kids this means you too! Ask questions. Understand your treatment plan and medications. SPEAK UP!

SPEAK UP and Take Charge of Your Own Care

• Speak up. Ask questions. Voice concerns.
• Pay attention.
• Educate yourself.
• Designate an Advocate, a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate or support person.
• Know the medicines you take and why.
• Use a healthcare facility that meets The Joint Commission’s quality standards.
• Participate in your care.

At shift change, your nurses will come to the bedside to discuss your child’s care. Important information about care is shared with the oncoming nurse during this time. You are encouraged to join the discussion. Share your thoughts, concerns, and questions.

During this time they will:

• Introduce your new nurse.
• Talk about what has been happening during your stay.
• Discuss your plan of care.
• Answer questions you may have.
• Staff will return after report has been completed on all patients to answer further questions and provide care.

If you do not wish to participate in this practice, please let your nurse know.

Rounds are a time when the medical team talks about your child’s health, discusses what has happened in the hospital, and makes a plan for the day.

• Patient and family involvement in the discussion and decision-making is encouraged, welcome, and expected.
• Rounds typically take place once a day.
• If you are unable to be present for rounds, someone from the team will discuss the plan with you later.

Our caregivers are committed to managing the pain our patients may experience and will partner with you to help reach a level of discomfort the patient can tolerate. Your medical team will discuss our Comfort Menu for pain relief options, which may include medications and alternative therapies, including:

• Freezy Spray: Cold Spray just before some procedures, to dull the pain
• Buzzy: Vibrating device interrupts the brain-body connection to distract from procedure discomfort
• Medicated Cream: Local numbing cream applied 20-30 minutes before procedure
• Comfort Hold: Caregivers holding the child in a comfortable position during the procedure
• Guided Imagery: A Relaxation technique to distract from the procedure
• Breathing Techniques: Breath exercises to take focus away from the procedure
• Alternative Focus: Attention distraction techniques to take focus off the procedure
• M Technique: A registered method of touch that calms and relaxes the patient while distracting from the procedure
• Facility Dog: A highly trained service animal providing goal-oriented intervention. Ask your nurse or Child Life Specialist if you qualify for a consultation.
• Alternative Therapies: Some alternative procedures are available depending on the day. Ask your Care Team what may be available.

• Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer at the beginning of your visit and prior to leaving.
• Wash your hands if they are visibly soiled and after diaper changes.
• If you don’t see us wash our hands or use sanitizer before touching your child, please let us know.
• Please do not visit if you or your family has symptoms of a cold or flu. Please talk to your baby’s nurse for support during this time.

• Please check with the nurse before you get out of bed, go to bathroom, or get back in bed.
• Always wear non-skid shoes, slippers or hospital socks (see image below).
• Before getting up, sit at the edge of your bed for 10-15 seconds and dangle your feet over the side. Do you feel dizzy or lightheaded? If so, CALL YOUR NURSE and DO NOT GET UP!
• Ask your health care team if your medication or condition may make you more likely to fall.
• Please be careful of IV lines, monitor wires, catheter tubes, etc. If you need assistance or guidance on moving your child, please call your nurse first.
• If your child is less than one year old, they must sleep in an incubator or crib. Ensure the side rails are in the highest locked position and the clear vinyl sides of the canopy are in the lowest locked position.
• If your child is 2-3 years old and you request a hospital bed instead of a crib, please be sure you are with them at all times.

While you and your baby are in the hospital, we hope you will allow us to support you in keeping your baby safe. Upon admission, your caregiver will review safe sleep practices and ask you to sign our safe sleep pledge.

Babies should always sleep alone, on their backs, in a safe crib without pillows, blankets, soft objects or loose bedding.

Questions? Feel free to ask your caregiver.

We use an infant security system to protect your child. It is activated by a small tag attached to your child’s ankle. All children under 12 months and other children with specialized needs will have a security tag placed.

An alarm is triggered and Security alerted if:

• Tag is tampered with
• Band is cut
• Child is leaving the unit without signing out
• Child is too close to entrance/exits

Please call your nurse if the tag straps need to be adjusted.

Clots are prevented by moving your feet and legs and turning over at least every two hours.

• Patients: You may have a condition that requires isolation. A sign will be posted on or around your room door. If you have an isolation sign in most instances, you will need to stay in your room. If you have to leave your room for a test or treatment and have a cough or cold symptom, you may need to wear a mask when you leave the room.
• Visitors: Family and visitors need to report to the nurse’s station if there is an isolation sign next to the patient door. The nurse will explain what is needed to visit. It is always important for visitors to wash their hands when they arrive and before they go home.
• Patients and visitors in isolation rooms are unable to visit the play deck or other common spaces. A Child Life Specialist or another staff member can bring activities to your room.

• Ask questions about medications, such as what the medication does, possible side effects and any other concerns.
• While in the hospital, patients should not take medications from home of any kind unless instructed by the health care team.

Due to fire and safety codes, the use of patient-owned medical equipment (CPAP machines, etc) ordered by your provider will be tested by Clinical Engineering before use to insure that it meets safety standards.

For your safety and optimal medical care during this hospital stay please let the nursing and medical staff know that you are using a medication (i.e. insulin ) pump to inject your own medications. If you need to dispose of needles, lancets or other sharps, please let the staff know so we can provide you with a safety container. Do not leave sharps at the bedside, table or food trays.

For your safety we routinely conduct fire drills at various times of the day. Should you hear a fire alarm please do not become frightened. Staff will close the door to your room and inform you of the reason they are doing so. Should a real emergency arise all staff are trained to protect you and others within the facility.