If your child is very unwell or badly injured, they may be transferred from the emergency department, ward or the ambulance to the PICU.

the first person you are likely to meet will be the nurse who will be looking after your child. The nurse may look after only your child or two children depending on how much care your child needs. Children in PICU usually require very close attention. Nurses are usually dressed in navy Blue o colourful scrubs.

you will very likely meet the registrar or senior registrar early on. They are a doctor who is working toward becoming a specialist. They will ask you questions about your child and gather information for the Intensivists. They will take notes on how your child is doing throughout your PICU stay. Registrars are usually dressed in green scrubs.

a Fellow is a senior doctor, usually in their last year of specialist training.

every area of the hospital is led by specialist doctors, also called consultants. They have the highest qualifications and longest experience and are ultimately responsible for the care provided in the PICU. They specialise in treating very unwell or injured children, from babies through to adolescentss. They will assess your child, ask you to give as much detailed information as you can about their illness, order blood tests or other tests and prescribe medications. Most of these tests, or investigations, will then be ordered and managed by the registrar and nurses. If you have questions about your child’s condition or medicines, ask the nurse practitioners or the doctors. If they cannot answer your question, they will ask the Intensivist or you may catch them on one of their ward rounds.