Your child’s stay on the hematology/oncology unit

This short video will describe what you can expect during your child’s stay in the hematology and oncology unit at CHOC.

After admitting, you will be escorted to your room on the fifth floor.

Each room has a television with a DVD player and X-box for entertainment.

For convenience, there’s a refrigerator for family members’ food.

There’s a patient board in your room where you can communicate with your healthcare team. Here you can write questions for the team and be a part of daily goal setting.

A nurse will check on your child frequently throughout your stay.

They’ll check vital signs as often as every four hours. These include checks on blood pressure, body temperature and oxygen saturation levels.

The nurse will also give medicine to your child and check on how they are doing.

Your child’s care team will visit every morning. Ask any questions you may have.

Your child may have an IV placed in the arm or hand to receive medication.

Throughout your stay, your child may need laboratory work. If so, a phlebotomist will come to the room to draw blood.

A clinical associate will take care of your child’s personal needs. They will also bring your child any comfort items they might want.

Your child’s room includes a call light and a phone number to reach the nurse or clinical associate if needed.

If at any time you have a medical concern that you feel is not being addressed, you can call a Family Activated Rapid Response. Press 15433. With this call, a team will come and check your child’s condition and care for immediate medical needs.

A fold-out bed will be provided for a parent to sleep in the same room as your child.

If your child is in isolation, everyone entering your child’s room will need to wear gowns, gloves and masks, as indicated.

Your nurse will change at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. This is called shift change. At this time, the nurses will discuss your child’s care plan and information from the previous 12 hours about your child.

When your child’s doctor decides your child is ready to go home, their nurse will review their discharge paperwork and make sure your questions have been answered.

This process might take a couple hours.