After visiting the hospital in Ashville I realized there
were many similarities and differences from my previous experiences in health
care. I used to work at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois so it was easy for
me to see the differences. The first similarity I saw was the how they had
several nurse’s stations throughout the general pediatric and pediatric icu
units. At OSF they also have several nurse’s stations throughout so the nurses
are closer to their patients. Another similarity I saw was the nourishment and
playrooms. At OSF they also have nourishment rooms and playrooms for the
patients and their families so they will be more encouraged to be with their
children. Some differences I saw was at OSF they have computers in between two
patient’s rooms on all of the pediatric units to allow for the nurse to be able
to sit outside of the rooms and monitor their patients without having to be
hovering in the rooms. Another difference I found out is that OSF does more
inpatient surgeries in their PICU then that at the Ashville Children’s
Hospital.
When thinking of how hospitalization effects children and
their families the first thing I think of is child regression and stress. From
our pediatric class we have learned that while in the hospital is very common
for children to regress in their developmental stages due to stress and from
being in an unfamiliar place where they are not comfortable. The affect that
hospitalization can have on families’ can be mental, physical, emotional, and
financial.
This organization applies family-centered care in many ways.
On the Pediatric floors the families are given one meal to a family member each
meal. They also have access to the nourishment center which provides drinks and
snacks. In the rooms there are refrigerators, and pull out beds for the family
members. On the NICU floor the families have the option of staying in the sleep
room which is basically just a bed and a bathroom or they can go to a housing
facility that is similar to a Ronald McDonald house (this is set up by a social
worker). When we went to the outpatient clinic when you first walked in was a
statue of a family but the heads were puzzle pieces to me this showed that the
clinic really cared about all of the members of the family and that they are
all connected.
The environment of Ashville and Cherokee to me were very
similar but yet different. When we went to Cherokee all of the specialty units
were held within the hospital itself but they were all grouped together. At the
Ashville the pediatric specialty units were also all together but were not in
the hospital itself. I believe both the hospital really encouraged family
involvement. The one thing I noticed about Cherokee they really brought their
culture into the hospital where as at the Children’s hospital it was more kid
themed.
When walking into the NICU there were family stories on the
wall after both happy and sad endings. Then seeing the teeny tiny babies, it
made me realize how amazing the nurses are to “grow” and take care of the them.
This is what had the most impact on me today.
Becky,
ReplyDeleteNice job on your post! I have not had a lot of exposure to other pediatric units and so I really appreciate your discussion about the differences and similarities. I also noted that the Mission Children's hospital differed Cherokee in that their acute care setting did not provide all of the interdisciplinary departments as Cherokee does at the hospital. I am curious if this is something that could be realistically implemented at the hospital. For example, we learned that Mission Children's is very strict on their visitation policy. Could it be possible in the future for MCH to provide both culturally sensitive care related to visitation policies while still maintaining that level of patient safety? I don't know the answer but I am so thankful that this trip has opened our minds to new possibilities. Great job!
Becky,
ReplyDeleteThe child regression through developmental stages during stress was a point I didn't think about today. Another way that the organizations have a family focus is in the way that they support the families. In the children's specialty outpatient unit, they had a room and service where staff connects families with other families whose children have similar health problems. The nurse said they do a similar thing for teenagers with cystic fibrosis. What a great resource for the children and families to have!
Asheville Mission Hospital serves 18 different counties which probably encompasses it being more "kid themed" but with a flair of nature (which makes it a little more comfortable possibly for Cherokee). Cherokee serves 3 counties and only Cherokee (unless its an emergency). They are family centered which is really important for pediatrics. I too thought it was great they would help pair up families to mentor/ support one another with similar diagnosis. Considering they are serving the entirity of Western NC, I too was suprised that certain surgeries (cardiac & some GI) were not available. These patients are transferred another 3.5 to 5 hours away. I was very suprised to hear that!
ReplyDelete