During Your Child's Visit 

We offer an number of support services and resources to help you and your child during his/her stay at Children's Hospital. 

• Identifying employees — our badge system helps identity our employees.
• Patient representatives — act as liaisons between parents and staff.
• Child Life Department — provides educational, social, and emotional support to patients.
• Preparing Your Child for a Hospital Visit — register for a Surgery Preparation Tour
• Lemieux Sibling Center— a place for the siblings of patients.
• Privileges for teen patients — special privileges for teen patients at Children's Hospital.
• Find your way around Children's Hospital —  moving around Children's Hospital.
• Patient & Parent Bill of Rights — the rights and responsibilities of patients and parents.
• Condition Help — empowers parents who have an immediate concerns.
• Pastoral care — ministers to spiritual needs of patients, families, and staff.
• Nursing services — our nurses are held to a high standard of excellence.
• Keeping your child safe during hospitalization — helpful safety guidelines for parents.
• Booksburgh — a hospital-based program to promote reading.
• Discharge planning — home care arrangements, medication questions, and follow-up appointments.
• Non-Discrimination Statement — View UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's non-discrimination statement.

Guidelines for Your Visit

Your support, presence and involvement are very important to your child’s sense of comfort and security while in the hospital. You are encouraged to spend as much time as possible with your child. Please inform your child’s nurse when you will be leaving the hospital and when you plan to return. 

In addition to spending time with your child, the following guidelines may help your child more easily adjust to hospitalization:

• Establish good communication with your child’s health care providers so you can help your child understand what is happening. If you have any questions about your child’s condition or treatment plan, including questions about information you have read in books, magazines, medical journals or on the Internet, please ask your child’s physician, nurse or child life specialist for more information.
• Share your child’s routine with his/her care providers. This will help us maintain your child’s daily routine as much as possible.
• Encourage your child to participate in activities and special programs offered by the Child Life and Volunteer Services Department. It is easier for children to be in the hospital when they are involved in interesting activities. Activity Centers are rooms where hospitalized children of all ages can relax in child-friendly, medical-free environments. Supervised group and individualized play sessions are provided daily. Bedside activities are offered to children who are on bed rest or in isolation.
• Stay in touch with changes in your child’s personality or behavior during or following hospitalization. Young children may become clingy or demanding. If your child recently has been toilet-trained or weaned from the bottle, he/she may temporarily regress. The Nursing and Child Life staff can help you cope with these issues.

Children at different ages react differently to hospitalization. Below are possible age-appropriate reactions your child may have, as well as suggestions for comforting your child during his/her hospital stay.

Younger than 3

For a child under 3 years of age, having close and continual parental contact during hospitalization is the best means of support. Young children generally do not understand their illness or the hospital environment and most likely will be concerned about being away from the family. Being with your child in the hospital will make him/her feel more secure. However, in observation suites and in the intensive care environment, families will find there are periods of time when they cannot be with their child around the clock.

Ages 3 to 6

This age group also wants to be near the family and often views a hospital stay or procedure as punishment for something. Honest, simple, age-appropriate conversations can help your child feel more secure. Remember, young children learn best through play.

Ages 7 to 12

Older children usually are worried about painful procedures and changes to their body. Providing information is key at this age. Don’t mislead your child by saying something won’t hurt if it will. Instead, talk with your child about how to cope with possible pain and confusion.

Teenagers

Teens often are self-conscious and may have lots of questions about specific procedures. Encourage your teen to talk to doctors and nurses involved in his/her care and allow the teen to be part of decisions. This will help your teen feel some degree of control.

Communications Assistance

Support is offered for patients or family members who are hearing-impaired or non-English-speaking, including foreign language interpreters, sign language interpreters, listening devices, TDD/TTY devices and Deaf Talk (video-conferencing equipment providing sign language and foreign language interpreting). 

For more information, contact Clinical Social Work at 412-692-5255 or call the hospital operators at 412-692-5325 to have the social worker on call paged.