Welcome to hospital
Hospitals are like entering a different town. There are hundreds of people all with specific jobs, working 24 hours a day and it’s a busy place. Each type of job has its own uniform. Learning who does what can be overwhelming at first. Hopefully we can help you make sense of who is who, what they do and who to ask for help on the journey.
There are a couple of ways you might arrive with your child in hospital:
Emergency Department (ED)
triage nurse - at the ED the nurse at the front desk is a triage nurse. The triage nurse will ask you and your child to describe your illness or pain, take your child’s temperature, and check their pulse. They may also give your child some pain relief while they are waiting to be seen by a doctor. Waiting times in the ED can be several hours, as doctors see patients in the order of who is sickest or most badly injured first, not in the order of when you arrive. If your child gets sicker or their pain gets worse while you are waiting, politely approach the desk and let them know your child is feeling worse than when you arrived.
hospital clerk - the clerk will call you up and take your details (name, address, GP, Medicare card, private health insurance card and other information). You will then have to wait until your child is called to be seen by a doctor in ED.
ED nurse- a nurse will come from the area of ED where they treat people and call your child’s name when a bed becomes available for them. You and your child will follow them to your allocated bed. ED nurses are dressed in Navy blue scrubs, or sometimes very colourful scrubs to cheer children up.
Registrar – the registrar (reg) is a junior doctor. They will listen to your description of your child’s illness/reason for pain and examine your child. They will order any medications, blood tests, IV fluids, pain relief and other imaging such as x-rays or ultrasound. They will usually speak with the consultant about what they have found, the likely issue causing your child’s pain or illness and the recommended treatment.
Emergency Medicine Specialist – every area of the hospital is led by specialist doctors, also called consultants. They have the highest qualifications and longest experience. The emergency department is led by Emergency Medicine specialists. Once your child has been initially reviewed, you will meet the Emergency Specialist, sometimes just called the Doctor. 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. They may even call other specialists depending on the likely cause of your child’s illness or pain. Most of the tests, or investigations, ordered by the specialists are then carried out by the registrar and nurses. If you have questions about your child’s condition or medicines, ask the Specialist when they visit your child.
Your child may get better with treatment in ED, and then you will go home. If your child needs more care by other specialist doctors, they will be admitted to hospital, and moved to the Children’s Hospital to be cared for by the most appropriate specialist teams.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
If you have had a baby in the John Hunter Hospital who is unwell, you may start in the NICU. Specialist doctors called Neonatologists lead the teams of people who will look after your child in NICU.
Nurse - the first person you are likely to meet will be the nurse who will be looking after your child. They may look after only your child or a small number of children depending on how much care your child needs. They will be dressed in Navy Blue scrubs. [photo]
Registrar- 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 Neonatologist. They will take notes on how your child is doing throughout your NICU stay.
Neonatologist - every area of the hospital is led by specialist doctors, also called consultants. They have the highest qualifications and longest experience. The NICU is led by Neonatologists, sometimes just called the Doctor. They specialise in treating premature and very unwell babies. 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. They may call in other specialist doctors to assess different areas of your child, to determine the most appropriate care. 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 Specialist when they visit your child.
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
If your child is very unwell, they may be transferred from the emergency department, ward or the ambulance to the PICU.
Nurse - 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 dressed in Navy Blue scrubs. [photo]
Registrar- 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.
Intensivist - every area of the hospital is led by specialist doctors, also called consultants. They have the highest qualifications and longest experience. The PICU is led by Intensivists, sometimes just called the Doctor. They specialise in treating very unwell or injured children, from babies through to 17 year olds. 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 Specialist when they visit your child. Consultants are usually dressed in smart casual clothes.
After your child has been initially assessed and treated, or their condition improved, they may be moved from ED, NICU or PICU to a place where they can receive care for 24 hours or more. These longer-term care areas are called Wards.
The Ward
Nurse - the first person you are likely to meet will be the nurse who will be looking after your child. They may look after only your child or a small number of children depending on how much care your child needs. They will be dressed in Navy Blue scrubs. [photo]
Registrar- 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 Neonatologist. They will take notes on how your child is doing throughout your NICU stay.
Specialist or consultant – while your child is ‘on the ward’ they will be visited regularly by the consultant who specialises in treating your child cause of illness or pain. Your child may be visited by surgeons, endocrinologists (diabetes, coeliac disesase), gastroenterologists (stomach, liver and gut issues), psychiatrists, cardiologists (heart), neurologists (brain), oncologist (cancer). Consultants usually visit between 7-9am and 3-5pm and their visits are called ‘rounds’. Consultants have the highest qualifications and longest experience. They will assess your child every day, 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 Specialist when they visit your child during one of their rounds.
Pharmacist – if medication is needed to treat your child, you will be visited by one of the hospital pharmacists who will order and confirm the medications recommended by the specialists.
Imaging – a specialist might need to order a picture of some part of your child in order to diagnose or treat them. They may order an x-ray or ultrasound or MRI. If they do, your child will be taken to imaging on their bed by an orderly.
Surgery – sometimes your child may need surgery to treat them. IF they do an orderly will take your child on their bed to the surgical theatres for their procedure or operation. When the surgery is finished, your child will wake up in recovery with a recovery nurse who will make sure they are recovering well enough to go to the ward or PICU.
