There may be times when your child needs to stay overnight at McMaster Children’s Hospital to receive care. This is called being admitted to the hospital. Most often, your child will be admitted to the 3B2 unit when receiving cancer or hematology (blood disorders) care. There may be times when your child will need to be admitted to other areas in the hospital to best care for their needs.
Planned admissions: include being admitted for therapies and treatments such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Unplanned admissions: include being admitted for fever, supportive care such as pain management and nutritional support.
Care We Provide
Some parts of care that will be done while your child is admitted include:
Vital signs: Your child’s blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate will be checked regularly. At times, such as when your child has a fever or needs to get a transfusion, the vital signs will be checked more often. Vital signs help the health care team know how well or ill your child is.
Weight: Your child’s weight will be closely monitored. Knowing if your child is losing or gaining weight is important. In some cases, your child may gain weight from fluid or changes in appetite related to treatment.
Intake and Output: Intake means how much fluid your child is taking in (by mouth or into a vein, also called intravenous or IV). Output means how much fluid your child is putting out including urine, vomit and stool. Intake and output will be measured every day. If you change your child’s diaper, do not throw it away until it is weighed to see how much output is in the diaper. If your child uses the urinal or bedpan, do not flush the urine or stool until it is measured.
Blood tests: Your child will need to have blood tests while admitted on the 3B2 unit. Blood tests are often done very early in the morning so that the test results are ready when the health care team makes the plan of care for the day. Blood may be taken from your child’s central line, PICC or port. Some tests require a blood sample to be drawn from a poke in your child’s arm or finger.
Rounds: The health care team rounds daily to discuss the care of all patients admitted to the hospital. Each day the health care team will examine your child, review information, such as vital signs and results of blood tests, and talk with you about the plan of care. This is called rounds. It is helpful to write down any questions you may have to help you remember what to ask. There is not a set time of a day that a member of the health care team will come to assess your child. There will be a nurse assigned to your child that will care for them throughout a shift.
Shift change: The nurses on the inpatient units change shift at 0700 and 1900. This is an important time for nurses to transfer care of patients to the next nurse.
Treatment: Children on therapy for cancer may require admission for treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy. These can be given through intravenous lines or by mouth as guided by your child’s treatment protocol. Some cancer treatments require hospital admission to deliver and will be discussed with your child’s primary cancer team.
Supportive Care: Your child may require admission for supportive care, such as managing fever and neutropenia with antibiotics, Sickle Cell anemia vaso occlusive disease and fever care, blood and blood product infusions, nausea and vomiting management, pain management and hydration and nutritional support.
Patient Eligibility and Referrals
Children and teens admitted to the inpatient 3B2 Pediatric Hematology and Oncology unit will have a known blood or cancer disorder requiring specialized care.
If your child is admitted to another unit and under another service team in the hospital, your team can request a consult by the inpatient Pediatric Hematology/Oncology team as required.
What to Expect
On arrival to 3B2, you will be oriented to the unit by the inpatient nurse once your child’s immediate care needs are addressed. This will include information about the resources and amenities on the ward and hospital, ward routines and the care plan for your child.
Please reach out to any health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have.
Team Members
As a caregiver, you are part of the team that will take care of your child. The inpatient Pediatric Hematology/Oncology team is an expert multidisciplinary team available to care for your child. You will see multiple team members during your child’s hospital stay and depending on your child’s needs the following people may be part of your child’s health care team:
- Attending physician- Hematologist/Oncologist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Doctor in training- fellow, resident, medical student
- Registered Nurse
- Social worker
- Pharmacist
- Registered Dietitian
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational Therapist
- POGO Interlink Nurse
- Child life Specialists
- Health care aid
- Environmental aid
- Other allied health professionals as needed
Visitors
Anyone who has a fever, rash, diarrhea, vomiting or other illness should not visit you or your child. Family and friends who may have been exposed to anyone with chicken pox, shingles or measles should not visit the hospital or clinic areas. Visitors may be limited during flu season and for other medical reasons. Check with the health care team for current visitor information and guidelines.
For more information about visiting policies, talk with your health care team or visit the Hamilton Health Sciences website for updated guidelines.
Support for Your Family
Many resources are available at your hospital and clinic and in your community to help your family through this time. Types of resources available may include information, support, financial assistance and transportation. Your health care team can help you understand what resources are available and will work closely with you to access them. If you feel like you, your family or your child needs something, let anyone on your health care team know. Team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital that most often help access these resources include your Social Worker or POGO Interlink Nurse.
Social Worker: a social worker is trained to help you and your child cope with illness and hospitalization through counseling, support groups, financial assistance and referrals for other services. They can provide support to patients and parents who need community information and help to apply for the resources to address their healthcare related costs, as well as other specific needs. They provide assistance with completion of applications for government and financial resources. They also help with booking accommodations for families who need to stay closer to McMaster Children’s Hospital. Accommodations may include Ronald McDonald House or other accommodations in the area.
POGO Interlink Nurse: The POGO Pediatric Interlink Nursing team is a group of experienced oncology nurses that will support you and your child throughout treatment. Your Interlink nurse works closely with your primary team and will aim to plan an initial home visit and connect you and your child to community resources. They will facilitate school support by working with school administrators and educators to set up your child to continue their education, whether it be in person or at home. You may meet your Interlink Nurse for the first time while you are admitted or in clinic early on in your child’s treatment and they will continue to be a resource throughout therapy and follow up.
Additional Support for Indigenous Patients and Families
Indigenous Patient Navigator: services are available to support patients and their families through their health care journey. In partnership with De dwa da dehs nye>s, Indigenous Patient Navigators support patients by offering services that may include attending clinic visits, helping patients and families communicate with members of their health-care team, arranging language and cultural translation services and helping patients connect with traditional Indigenous healers. This program is available to patients and their family members who self-identify as having Indigenous ancestry or as being part of an Indigenous family. Contact: Hamilton (905) 379-4320, Haldimand Brant (519) 750-4323 and Niagara (905) 358-4320
Makayla’s Room: Mkoonhs Zonghehgii in the Anishnaabe language- offers a quiet space for patients and families at McMaster Children’s Hospital to retreat, reflect and to learn about and participate in Indigenous culture. Location: 3rd floor near the yellow elevators.
Nutrition In Hospital
Good nutrition is essential during treatment for cancer and blood disorders, as it helps promote the child’s growth, development, immune system, maintain strength and enhance healing. Proper nutrition can reduce treatment related side effects and improve your child’s tolerance of therapies.
Menu Selection
You will be able to make food choices from the hospital menu while your child is admitted. Review the current menu choices or paper menus are available. Your menu selections will be taken daily around noon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be delivered to your room.
NOTE: vegetarian, Halal and Gluten Free menus are available
Foods From Home
You can bring food from home that your child prefers. Food can be stored in the small refrigerator in the patient’s room or in the large refrigerator that is shared by families. Be sure to label food items with the date and name.
A microwave is available in the 3B2 kitchen.
If needed, the Registered Dietitian will discuss nutrition options for your child, including eating by mouth, nutrition through a tube into their stomach (nasogastric or gastric tube) or nutrition through an IV line (TPN).
Resources
- Canadian Cancer Society: good nutrition during your child’s cancer treatment
- Health Canada: food safety