Hello! I'm Judie Boemer, one at the assistant directors for Hospital & Clinics.
Thank you for selecting UC Davis Children's Hospital.
Your child's comfort and well-being are important to us.
We will work hard to provide excellent care to your child.
if you have any questions during their stay please feel free to contact us.
Welcome to Davis 7
pediatric unit located on the 7th floor in the Davis Tower
We care for children from newborn through adolescence.
For safety reasons, it is a locked unit
Upon entering the unit you'll see the front desk. Here you can find the charge nurse
and the unit clerk. They can answer questions and be a valuable resource throughout
your child's stay
Many people may participate in your child's care
The medical team is led by the attending physician
The attending physician is responsible for all the medical care your child
receives while in the hospital
Residents caring for your child are licensed doctors
training in specific areas of medicine For example,
pediatrics. Your child may also be seen by consulting doctors
These specialty physicians advise and make recommendations to the primary team
on particular aspects of your child's care. If you feel you're receiving confusing
or conflicting information
please clarify with your child's attending physician. UC Davis Children's Hospital
is proud of the fact that all patients are cared for by registered nurses
Your child's primary nurse will introduce yourself to you
and become familiar with your child's condition, medical needs and personal
preferences.
A primary nurse works with you to develop an individualized plan of care
for your child
and communicate this plan to the rest of the nursing team
We know the most critical person in the health care team is you
the child's family member
we want you to be an active, involved and informed member of your health care team
so we encourage you to learn as much as you can about your child's diagnosis
tests, treatment plan and medications. As you think of questions,
you may want to write them down so you won't forget to ask them later
If you nurses know what your concerns are, they can help find the answers for
you
UC Davis is a renowned teaching hospital
Medical and nursing students may be involved in your child's care.
Medical students are working under both residents and the attending physicians
just as nursing students are supervised by registered nurses
Other hospital employees make also be involved in providing care
These might include clinical nurse specialists
who focus on helping with particular conditions and treatments. Social workers
who can assist with the burden of hospitalization. Pediatric dietitians
can help with children's complex nutritional needs. Physical
occupational and speech therapists, laboratory technicians,
hospital volunteers and others. All hospital employees wear identification
badges with their picture
name and department. It's okay to ask for ID
We encourage you to call a nurse if approached by someone without it
We have many support services available to help make you and your child
comfortable
The child life and creative arts therapy staff is trained to help minimize the
stress of hospitalization and illness
They can help your child to better understand their hospital stay,
upcoming procedures and illness. Child Life staff can provide activities to support
coping and encourage the expression of feelings.
Your child's education may also be a concern during prolonged
hospitalizations
UC Davis Children's Hospital has a school teacher on hand during the school
year
The teacher can help with the school work your child's teacher sends in
or assist with other education requests and needs. Hospital chaplains and pastors are
available to offer comfort and support
provide counseling, prayer or sacraments and discuss ethical decisions and
concerns
Thanks for calling. Patient information is considered confidential
and can only be shared with parents and guardians. We appreciate you letting
family members know. On admission an ID bracelet was placed on your child's
wrist or ankle that contains important information
For safety, this must remain on until your child is
discharged from the hospital.At UC Davis Children's Hospital
we have electronic security systems and other precautions in place to help
protect
infants and children to assist us in providing the safest environment
possible.
We ask you to refer to the pamphlet, safeguarding infants and children
in the hospital. "What can my child eat?"is a question often asked.
For children over one year, dietary host will call or visit
every day to discuss your child your meal choices
You may refer to the menu provided usually with your child's first meal.
Three meals are served daily. If your child is hungry between meals, additional
snacks and beverages
may be available. Choices will depend on your doctor's orders.
At UC Davis Children's Hospital we do our best to make sure your child's room
is safe
clean and comfortable. The bed can be adjusted
side rails come down with a simple lever. Each room has a closet and a
bedside table for storage of personal items
Special blankets and stuffed animals that come for a child are welcome
Many children prefer to wear their own clothes or pajamas.
Valuables and things that cannot be replaced should be left at home
the call ID system is a simple way to contact your nurse.
Please feel free to page for any of your needs. The TV has regular channels
and on-demand patient education video channels. DVD's can be checked out from
the playroom
In consideration of other patients in the room, please keep your TV volume at a
reasonable level
You can make local calls on the telephone located next to your bed
To do this press nine before dialing your number. Family and friends can call
this bedside phone between
8 a.m. and 10 p.m. using the number posted in your room
Cell phones may only be used outside or in designated areas
because they can interfere with important medical equipment. For your
convenience, Davis 7 does have free WiFi
Because we believe parents support can facilitate the healing process
A sleep chair is provided but due to limited space
we ask that only one parent spends the night. Our housekeeping staff will
appreciate if you put your sleep chair
up by 9 in the morning in time for room cleaning
Because the hospital can be a busy place
the pediatric unit observes quiet time from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
This quiet time has been set to encourage children and their parents
to rest or to do a quiet activity at bedside. We suggest
TV's and lights to be turned down and the hallway lights will be dimmed
You can support this by informing family and friends of this
and ask them to visit early in the day or after 2:30.
Toddlers and infants are provided cribs
For your child's safety please keep side rails
up and the canopy down when you're out of reach of your child
There are times it becomes necessary to isolate patients for different reasons.
Please be assured that the decisions are made with careful consideration and
knowledge
and always have the patients and unit safety in mind. Isolation decisions would
never be made that could put a patient at risk
For the protection of your child and others
please remember to wash your hands or use the hand sanitizer
before and during and when leaving your child's room. It is acceptable to ask
hospital staff about hand washing.
Davis 7 has four nurses stations
The center area is for staff only. If you should need something from this area
a staff member will be happy to assist you. To the right of the entrance, there
is a family room with a computer
which adult family members may use to check email. A microwave and supplies to
make you a fresh cup of coffee are available
You will also find a refrigerator to use. Please label your food with your name
and the date
Restrooms for visitors are located near the entrance of Davis 7
next to the family room. The restrooms in patient rooms are for patients only.
We are often asked about siblings and yes, other children may visit
as long as they have no fevers, rashes or a cold
and are supervised at all times but under no circumstance may they stay overnight
On that note, we appreciate if any family members are sick
please ask them to save their visit for another time and now
a word about balloons. Latex balloons are strictly prohibited because they pose a
serious, potentially life-threatening health risk to staff as well as patients.
Myler balloons are just as cheerful and non
allergenic. If your child is feeling well
they're invited to spend time in the playroom. There are a variety of
items available such as games, toys and art supplies.
Regular groups and special events also occur in the playroom.
Please see the weekly calendar for scheduled activities. For the older child
11 years and up, there is a teen room. This space allows the opportunity to access a
computer
play table games and video games. Sometimes children require medical
procedures
such as I V starts or blood draws. The treatment room is where these take place.
The treatment room keeps the hospital room a safe space
so your child is able to rest and recover without the worry of something
painful happening in their bed
Some testing procedures take place in other parts of the hospital.
We encourage you to accompany and support your child whenever they are off the unit.
Sometimes a child may need to go to the pediatric intensive care unit
or PICU located on the 10th floor
The PICU has medical equipment along with specially trained doctors and
nurses to care for critically ill children
that require continuous attention or specialized monitoring.
The Pavilion Cafe located in the Pavilion Lobby
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a limited late night menu.
Due to infection control policies, patients are not allowed in the cafeteria.
Guest trays are available for parents for a nominal fee
Please ask if you're interested. Questions about parking are common.
There are parking structures adjacent to the hospital in short term parking
outside the Pavilion Lobby.
Chargers are by hourly or daily rates. If your child will be here a couple days
it may be cost effective to purchase a multi day pass for parking here.
Additionally there's a free shuttle that runs to light rail.
The Ronald McDonald and Kiwanis Family House
offer low-cost lodging for families who have traveled from outside the greater
Sacramento area.
Each house is located on hospital property and provides a comfortable
place to stay.
Both offer free parking to guests, a food pantry
and other services. To request a room at either of the two houses
please ask a social worker or your nurse to make a referral for you.
Kiwanis Family House also has hookups for families bring their own RV.
During regular hours, the hospital shuttle will take you from the main
lobby
to either house and after-hours, a van can be called from the lobby.
There are few hotels within easy walking distance.
A complete list of area hotels is available upon request.
Many offer discount to UCDMC patient families. Planning for your child's
discharge begins as soon as he is admitted to the hospital.
Your health-care team can inform you of the discharge goals or criteria for your
child
Our discharge planner may assist you with equipment needs or home health services.
You'll be given a discharge instruction sheet, detailing your child's follow-up care
It is helpful to bring these instructions to your child's doctor's
appointment after release.
Your child may be prescribed new medications.
It's very important to make sure you understand all of the instructions.
If you feel unclear or have questions, please ask your nurse.
It is often easier to pick up and have your medications before you leave the
hospital
The discharge pharmacy is located in the Pavilion Lobby.
Many medications specifically for children are here.
If you would like to use your local pharmacy, let your doctor know.
When you leave,
don't forget to collect your personal belongings from the room and a note on
safety,
California law requires all children under 18 years of age
or under four foot nine inches must be transported in a child passengers restraint.
Remember to have your car seat when you're ready to go home. We promise to do
everything we can to make your child's stay here as comfortable as possible
with a speedy recovery. Thank you for choosing UC Davis Children's Hospital.