Goal number one: Create an environment that would be comfortable to kids of all ages.
Goal two: Address the family’s involvement in care.
At the renovated pediatric unit, rooms are private, with a full bath, TV/DVD and art/communication board. Patients are encouraged to treat the hospital room as their own. Parents may spend the night in the room, or nearby if a child needs to be isolated.
Playrooms, lounges for teens and parents, a kitchen, showers and laundry facilities all help to lessen stress. With staff able to work more efficiently, there are fewer disruptions to routines.
It is so fun to see the faces of the [anxious] parents and child when they see our waterfall and hear the birds chirping. It is a very relaxing place.
Linda Pelton, manager of pediatric services, Marshfield Children’s
