What happens in the Emergency Department of our Children’s Hospitals?

Hospital can be quite a stressful and uncertain time for you and bub, so we’ve had a chat to Dr Matt O’Meara, Head of Emergency at Sydney Children’s Hospital to find out more about what happens in the emergency department in a children’s hospital. Watch the video to find out more about a typical day in the emergency department, and if should you ever need to go there with your bub, what you can expect when you arrive, and how you can help to make the experience less stressful and ensure your bub gets the very best care.

What happens when you bring your child into emergency?

When you first arrive into emergency with your child, you will be seen by triage nurse, a senior experienced nurse who assess your child and their level of pain and then makes a decision as to whether you child needs to be seen immediately, be seen soon, or can wait a little while.

How can you ensure your bub gets the best care?

There are a few things you can do which will help the doctors and nurses look after your child, including telling them exactly what’s been going on, and helping to ensure your child is settled to make an examination easier. During this process the doctor or nurse will explain to you exactly what is happening, what medications are being given, the results of tests as they come through, and if an operation is required, what it is for and what you can expect to happen.

Why community donations are so important

Did you know that all of the equipment in an emergency department such as heart monitors, defibrillators, pacemakers and neonatal cots are funded by community donations? And so are the senior training positions for nurses and doctors to learn how to care for children. Donate to CHFA now and make a difference to the lives of sick babies and toddlers across Australia now.