May 2008

Parents on same page at Royal Children’s

The Royal Children’s Hospital is providing parents with pagers so they can move around while they wait for an appointment or procedure.

Staff can page parents to let them know when an appointment is approaching or when a child is leaving the operating theatre.

Dr Cathy Crock, who is managing the project, said the pagers would remove some of the stress families experienced while waiting in the hospital.

‘RCH staff always help parents and families feel at ease by keeping them informed and involved in the care of their child.

‘And sometimes families just need a break—that’s where the parent pagers will help,’ Dr Crock said.

Parent pagers are being used in operating theatres, the neonatal intensive care unit, day surgery, outpatients and haematology.

Wards and clinical areas receive a parent pager pack, which includes a log book for recording the pager details and instructions for parents and families.

The State Emergency Service (SES) donated surplus pagers when they heard the hospital had a use for them.