Welcome to the pediatric unit (EN) Welcome to the pediatric unit (EN)

Welkom op de kinderafdeling

Isala Women and Children's Hospital (Vrouw-kindcentrum) comprises:

• The Pediatric Unit V4.3
  Children aged 0 to 18 are admitted to this unit for all specialties.
• Neonatology V4.3
  Sick newborn and premature babies from 32 weeks of gestation are admitted to this unit.
• The Pediatric Outpatient Clinic V4.3
  Children aged 0 to 18 are admitted to this unit for all outpatient procedures.
• Treatment Center Building W
  The treatment center houses a pediatric unit to which children aged 0 to 18 are admitted for various specialties. This includes a special program for children who receive ear tubes and for children who have their tonsils removed.
• Neonatal Intensive Care V4.4
  This unit provides intensive care to newborn and premature babies.
• Obstetric High Dependency Unit
  This unit provides care to women with complications during pregnancy.
• Obstetrics and Maternity Unit V4.4
  The obstetrics unit with its own maternity suites for mother, partner and newborn.

Preparation for admission to pediatric unit

Being admitted to hospital can be a stressful event for a child and the whole family. The admission may have been scheduled, or your child may have been admitted unexpectedly due to an emergency. In the case of an emergency admission, you will not have been able to prepare your child beforehand. In that case it is still important that you explain to your child why he/she has been admitted to hospital and what is going to happen.

How can I prepare my child for being admitted to hospital?

A child will be able to deal with a hospital admission better if he/she has been told what is going to happen beforehand. Parents/caregivers can contribute significantly to preparing a child for being admitted to hospital. Try to tell your child about the admission to hospital as simply and honestly as possible. The older the child, the more details you can share and the sooner you can tell him/her. Children from about six years of age have a good sense of time. Depending on your child’s reaction you can determine whether you need to provide him/her with any more information.

Tips

• Children, especially young children, have a need for repetition. Therefore, you should tell them about being admitted to hospital several times.
• Also discuss the unpleasant aspects, such as pain, surgery and the injections that are sometimes given.
• Be honest with your child about what is going to happen and don’t make any promises about matters you are uncertain about.
• Tell your child that it is alright for him/her to be upset and to cry, and that nobody will consider that strange.
• Bring along a stuffed toy or favorite blanket, which is familiar and comforting to the child.
• Have your child help pack a bag to take to hospital.
• A photo of family members and pets can help make him/her feel more at home.
• It is nice for young children to have their own bottle, pacifier (dummy) and drinking cup from home.
• The website www.kindenziekenhuis.nl provides information on how you can support your child before, during and after admission to hospital.

In the case of a scheduled admission, you will have more time to prepare your child for what is going to happen. You will have been told when your child needs to come to the unit. A preoperative examination will take place prior to surgery. This means that you and your child will have a consultation with an anesthesiologist and a nurse before your child is admitted to hospital. You can also schedule an appointment for a tour of the pediatric unit with the child counselor. The child counselor can prepare you and your child for the admission and for anesthesia, surgery or examinations if applicable. You can schedule an appointment through the secretary of the pediatric unit.

Admission

On the day of admission, you and your child should report to the receptionist in the Main Lobby. Don’t forget to bring along your child’s identity document, which is required for children from 0 years of age.  

Items to bring with you

Your child will need the following things during his/her stay in our unit:

• a stuffed animal and some of his/her own familiar toys;
• his/her own drinking bottle and pacifier (dummy), depending on the child’s age;
• pajamas and slippers;
• toothbrush and toothpaste, comb, soap, etc.;
• your child’s own clothes, extra underwear, shoes;
• medication used at home and a recent medication overview if possible. The nurse will store the medication in a locked room until the hospital pharmacy has dispensed the medication. Medication under your own management must be stored in the special safe in your bedside cabinet in your room;
• diet list, if applicable ;
• a tablet, laptop or phone, if applicable. 

Notify the doctor and the nurse if your child has a known hypersensitivity (allergy) to certain medications or foods so that we can take this into account when treating and caring for your child.

The unit

When you arrive in the pediatric unit, a nurse will welcome you and your child to the unit. You will receive information about the unit during the admission interview. The nurse will also record some information about your child in the electronic patient record. It can be useful to write down any questions you may have, so that you don’t forget to ask them. The nurse will also give you and your child a tour of the department.

Your child will receive a wristband around his/her wrist or ankle, stating his/her name, date of birth and patient number. This wristband is used for identification purposes. Please let the nurse know if you notice that your child does not have a wristband.

As parents or caregivers you will receive a name badge to wear visibly when you are in the unit. This ensures that you are recognizable as a parent to the hospital staff. You must return this name badge to the nurse or secretary when your child is discharged so that the badge can be destroyed.

You may encounter various disciplines in the pediatric unit:

• pediatric nurses and trainee (pediatric) nurses;
• child counselors: they have the task of helping to make your child’s admission to hospital as pleasant as possible. They can help you find suitable play and leisure activities in the unit itself as well as in the playroom. They will prepare and support your child for examinations and/or surgery as much as possible;
• doctors and residents of various specialties;
• nurse practitioners; also see the ‘Nurse practitioner’ (Verpleegkundig specialist) leaflet (only in Dutch available);
• service assistant, who arranges everything related to food;
• unit secretary;
• dietitian;
• pediatric physiotherapist;
• speech-language pathologis;ts (s;peech therapists);
• social worker; also see the ‘Medical social work’ (Medisch maatschappelijk werk) leaflet (only in Dutch available);
• pediatric psychologist;
• facilities staff;
• in-hospital teacher; the in-hospital teacher is available from 9:00 to 12:00 on Mondays and sometimes on Thursdays (depending on demand);
• lactation consultant;
• spiritual counselor; the hospital has spiritual counselors who are available to everyone.

If your child has been admitted for the pediatrician:

Unit doctors work in the pediatric unit. The unit doctor is a qualified doctor who acts under the supervision of the pediatrician. The unit doctor will discuss your child's condition with the pediatrician and the responsible nurse between 9:00 and 11:00 every day to determine how things are going.

If your child remains in hospital for a longer period of time, we aim to schedule a parents’ consultation with the unit doctor/pediatrician once a week. If you would like to arrange a consultation with the attending physician/pediatrician, the nurse can schedule an appointment for you.

Treatment

Procedures and examinations

Most procedures are scheduled beforehand, but this does not usually apply in the case of emergency admissions. Sometimes there is not enough time to prepare your child properly. The sober policy goes according to agreement with the pediatric unit.

In the case of scheduled surgery, the preoperative office will have informed you how long your child has to fast prior to anesthesia. In other words, from what time your child is no longer allowed to eat or drink. If your child has to undergo emergency surgery, the following rules apply:

• all food up to 6 hours before the procedure (a light meal, porridge, infant formula or parenteral nutrition);
• breast milk up to 4 hours before the procedure;
• clear drinks up to 2 hours before the procedure (clear fluids with the exception of bouillon, no dairy products).

It is important that your child does not feel any pain. Therefore he/she will be given pain medication. Your child will be given pain medication before surgery, so that it can take effect by the time the procedure has been completed. After the procedure, the doctor in charge will determine how much pain medication your child is allowed to have. If your child is to be given intravenous anesthesia, an anesthetic ointment will be applied to his/her hands beforehand in consultation with you.

If your child undergoes anesthesia, one parent or caregiver may stay with him/her until he/she falls asleep. A nurse or a child counselor will accompany you until your child falls asleep, and will show you the best place to wait during the procedure. Once the surgery or procedure has been completed, one parent or caregiver may wait in the recovery room until the nurse comes to collect your child to bring him/her back to the pediatric unit.

Staying in the hospital

• Parents/caregivers may be in the hospital 24 hours a day.
• One parent/caregiver may stay overnight, which is referred to as rooming-in. When you room-in, you will sleep on a sofa bed in your child’s room. We will provide bedding. Shower and toilet facilities are available. 
• If possible from a medical and/or nursing perspective, you can provide your child’s daily care as you would to at home.
• A breakfast buffet will be provided in the parents’ room from 7:30 to 9:00 in the morning. You must arrange your other meals yourself. You can use the restaurant for visitors in the Main Lobby. It is open from 8:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, and from 10:00 on weekends.
• There is a coffee and tea machine in the parents’ room for parents and visitors.
• Food and drinks can be stored in the refrigerator in the parents’ room, and should be provided with the patient’s name and date. You can also use the microwave oven in the parents’ room.
• The service assistant will provide your child’s food and drinks during his/her stay in hospital.
• For hygiene reasons, the unit's kitchen is accessible only to staff.
• There is a Ronald McDonald Family Room in V4.3A, which is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 21:30, and from 12:30 to 21:30 on weekends. Parents can take a break from the hospital atmosphere here, and have a cup of coffee, read a book or magazine, etc.
• The pediatric unit is a secure unit, meaning that not just anyone can walk into the unit. Parents and visitors can only access the unit after ringing the doorbell at the swinging doors. To exit the department, there is a button on the right hand side just before the swinging doors.
• The playroom is located in V4.3A, and is open from 9:15 to 11:30 and from 14:15 to 16:30.
• If your child is admitted, you can use the television free of charge. The remote control can be found behind the bed and you can request headphones from the pediatric nurse.
• You may use wireless internet free of charge during your stay. After activating wireless internet, you can connect to Isala’s internet through your browser.
• Smoking is not permitted in the hospital. You may smoke outside in the designated smoking areas.
• Mobile phones (cell phones) may be used in the unit. However, please set your phone to ‘silent’ mode.
• Paid parking facilities are available six days a week. Parking is free on Sundays and public holidays. You can purchase a weekly parking permit from the reception desk in the Main Lobby. More information about parking facilities.
• Isala is not liable for theft or loss of your property. There is a safe in the room in which you can store your property.

Visitors

The visiting policy for the pediatric unit is as follows:

• Parents/caregivers are welcome 24 hours a day; one parent may stay overnight.
• The rest period is from 12:00 to 14:00.
• Visiting hours are from 14:00 to 19:00 for children up to 12 years of age, and to 20:00 for children aged 12 and over.
• Children up to 16 years of age are only allowed to receive visitors if their parents are present or have provided their express permission to the nurse in charge.

Hygiene

• In connection with possible infectious diseases and privacy, you should not go into other patients’ rooms.
• Your child may have an infectious disease or may need to be protected from infectious diseases. In that case, your child must remain in his/her room. This is referred to as isolation. In that case, toys remain in the room and can be exchanged in consultation with the staff.
• Different protective measures apply to each infectious disease, and are posted on the door of the room.
• Family members or friends who are sick may not visit. This applies especially to childhood diseases.

Mail

Children enjoy receiving mail, even if they cannot read yet.

The address:
Isala 
Pediatric unit V4.3
Attn. (your child’s name and room number)
Postbus 10400
8000 GK Zwolle
Family and friends can also send e-cards at www.isala.nl

Going home

Discharge

The attending physician will decide when your child is allowed to go home. You will be informed as soon as this date is known. Before your child is discharged, you will meet with the nurse to discuss any important details, preparations you need to make at home, things to watch out for, and any instructions concerning wound care and medication. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. When your child is discharged, you will receive a letter to give to your family doctor and an outpatient appointment if applicable.

Lost property

Personal property often gets left behind. Please pay extra attention to this when you leave. Upon arriving home, you may realise that you have left something behind in the hospital. For information about lost property, you can contact the Service office on 088 624 65 00. You have one month in which to pick up your lost property there. Property that gets left behind is destroyed a month after being found. Clothes that have been left behind are stored for a maximum of one week at the secretariat of the Pediatric unit. After a week, these clothes are taken away in a clothes container.

Back at home

Going home is cause for celebration. However, your child will not forget about being in hospital right away. Despite all of the preparations and support, a stay in hospital is a significant experience. Books about the hospital can help children deal with their experiences.
If you have questions about your child’s behavior, you can contact your family doctor or your local Center for Children and Families (Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin).

Rights and obligations of minor patients

If your child is treated at Isala, you entrust your child’s care to a doctor or other expert. We involve children and adolescents in our hospital in their examinations and treatments as much as possible. Like adults, children and adolescents have patient rights that are defined by law. More information on rights and responsibilities can be found in the leaflet ‘Patient rights and responsibilities’ (see below).

Complaints or problems

If you have any comments, complaints or problems, discuss them as soon as possible with the people responsible: the nurse, the manager or the specialist. If you are unable to resolve the matter together, read the leaflet Een klacht en dan? (only in Dutch, see below).

Contact

If you have any questions after reading this information or would like to know more, you can contact us at:

Zwolle

Women and Children's Hospital
Pediatric unit
088 624 50 50

Meppel

Pediatric unit
088 624 32 46