Pediatrics > Inpatient Care

Inpatient care

	The nurses station is close to each room if children need help.

Children up to age 18 who stay overnight in the hospital, generally stay on the 4^th Floor of Methodist Hospital in the Children and Young Adults Unit. Our nursing team is located at the nurses’ station in the center of the unit, so they can be close to all patients.

Many books and games are available for kids to use. To watch a video or listen to music, children can ask their nurse or the child-life specialist.

The area is designed to make children feel more relaxed during their hospital stay. For younger children, we have a playroom just down the hallway from all patient rooms, filled with books, puzzles, toys and videotapes for everyone to use. VCRs are available upon request.

If parents need more suggestions for coping with this stressful time, the child-life specialist is available to help. Someone at the nurses’ station can page the specialist.

On the Children and Young Adults Unit, parents are welcome to stay 24 hours a day. The unit offers flexibility according to each family’s needs and encourages families to be involved in care. We will work with parents and their children to make sure children are as comfortable as possible.

	The call button gets a nurse's help.

Our pediatricians visit patients several times a day on what the hospital calls “rounds.” During rounds, doctors check on their patients’ progress and update parents with the latest information. The doctors also see if patients need anything else before they leave.

Mealtimes on the Children and Young Adults Unit are at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast, 11:30 a.m. for lunch and 4:30 p.m. for dinner. If patients would like something to eat between mealtimes, they can ask their nurse to assist them. 

Parents may want to take a short break to stretch their legs, get something to eat or visit the hospital’s gift shop. A notebook of information in the child’s hospital room will help parents find out how to get around the hospital. See more information about Methodist Hospital.

For more information about our pediatric services, call 952-993-5500.