Nicklaus Children's joins hospitals across the nation in highlighting Patient Safety Awareness Week. Be a part of the safety team for your child. Parents are the most critical part of a child's caregiving team.
While visiting the hospital, here are eight tips for ensuring a safe experience every time:
| 1 |
BE A PATIENT ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD
Don’t be shy. Ask questions about your child’s care, raise safety concerns you have, or ask the caregiver to double check their chart before they act. Write down your questions to make sure the caregiver addresses them. |
| 2 |
YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD BEST
Share unique things about your child with caregivers that may be important for your child’s overall care (i.e. they have a fear of animals or only like to eat food cut in small pieces). |
| 3 |
WASH
Wash your hands and your child’s hands when entering and leaving the hospital, your patient room, the bathroom, and any treatment rooms (such as x-ray), and be sure to wash if you have handled any soiled material. |
| 4 |
ENSURE THEY WASH, TOO
Since you are part of your child’s health care team, do not be afraid to remind doctors and nurses about washing their hands before working with you—even if they are wearing gloves. |
| 5 |
STAY CLEAN & DRY
If your child has an intravenous catheter or a wound, keep the skin around the dressing clean and dry and let your caregiver know if it gets wet or loose. |
| 6 |
WATCH FOR RED OR IRRITATED SKIN
If you notice any new redness or irritation on your child’s skin, notify your child’s caregivers. Ask what steps can be taken to prevent harm to the skin. |
| 7 |
KNOW THE MEDS
Ask for the names of the medications your child is receiving in the hospital and how they are expected to help your child. Caregivers will check your child’s identification band before giving a medication to make certain the correct medication is being given. If you don’t see this, ask staff to double check that the medication is for your child. |
| 8 |
BE PREPARED WHEN GOING HOME
When your child is ready to go home from the hospital, make certain you know what medications and/or treatments your child will need once home. Ask what you should watch for that will require a call to your child’s doctor and which doctor to call if questions come up. Also ask when your child will need to follow up with a physician appointment. |
Learn more at: http://www.solutionsforpatientsafety.org/