Preparing For Your Hospital Visit

How can I help my child be prepared for their visit to the hospital?

We recognize that as a parent, you know your child best. Through our experiences working with other children in the hospital, we’ve learned it is helpful to provide honest information to your child about their visit. When children know what to expect, they are able to cope positively with a new or stressful experience. If you would like support with preparing your child for an upcoming test, procedure or surgery, please contact our Child Life Specialists at 603-663-3416.

Take a Tour of our Pediatric Units

On our Pediatric/Adolescent Unit, we have a playroom with toys, games, arts-and-crafts, and activities! If your child needs to spend some time at the hospital, we have developmentally appropriate resources to promote a positive experience. If possible, we also encourage bringing a special comfort item from home.

This is what one of the rooms in our Pediatric/Adolescent Unit looks like. Children/adolescents have their own room and bathroom with a shower. While you are here, your child's care team can bring toys, activities, video games and movies to your room!

In the middle of the unit is our Nurses' Station. Here, you can find members of your child’s care team.

See if you can find this piece of art on the Pediatric/Adolescent Unit!

You might see nurses pushing one of these around in the hallways on the Pediatric/Adolescent Unit. We call them C.O.W.'s (or Cart-on-Wheels). Each one looks like a different animal. How many different C.O.W. animals can you find in the hallway?

Outside of the playroom, there is a fish tank full of live fish! How many fish can your child find?

The Pediatric/Adolescent Unit is secure and only for children who are being cared for on this unit, along with their families and the staff of this unit. Since it is a secure unit, you will need to press the button next to the door to enter or exit the unit. A care team member at the desk can see you on a small camera and will ask, “Who are you here to see?” before allowing you onto the unit. This is another way we keep the children and families we care for safe during their time here.

At Elliot Hospital, we have a Pediatric Emergency Department that is separate from the main Emergency Department. Here there are doctors, nurses, technicians and child life specialists who are specifically trained to work with children. This unit is a locked unit, meaning only children who are being cared for in the Pediatric Emergency Department, their families and the staff can enter.

In the Pediatric Emergency Department, we have developmentally appropriate activities and movies to help normalize the hospital environment while your child is here. Your child will have their own room with a door, like the room pictured here.

Services for Siblings and Children of Adult Patients

When one of your loved ones is hospitalized, sometimes it can be difficult to know how to tell the children in your life. We’re here to help! We are trained in the use of developmentally appropriate language to help children understand and cope with this experience. We can provide preparation prior to your child’s visit so they have a greater understanding of what to expect, we can provide resources to help them cope with this experience, and we can even coordinate a time to accompany you and your child during their visit.

Please ask your loved one’s nurse/healthcare team to contact Child Life Services. We will work with you and your family to learn how we can best provide support.