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EXCELLENCE IN ACTION Service Excellence standards are consistently demonstrated by staff in all positions at Children's Hospital from physicians to nurses, from the Business Office to Housekeeping. Often times, specific departments evaluate their services from both a systems as well as a people perspective. If the system doesn't work, they think of ways to change the system to be more patient/visitor-friendly. Here are some examples of our commitment to continuous improvement from different hospital departments:
Scott M. Niswonger Emergency Department and Child Life – The Children’s Hospital Emergency Department and Child Life staff worked together to improve satisfaction regarding pain relief for patients while they are waiting to be seen by a doctor. Child Life compiled pain relief education that all Emergency Department staff can use to let parents know there are other ways to relieve their child’s pain than through medication. The Emergency Department staff now lets the parent and patient know that a doctor will see them soon and suggests distraction and pain management techniques such as playing with toys, taking deep breaths, squeezing a stress ball, placing a warm blanket where the pain is, and/or sitting or lying in a different position to help cope with the pain while they wait. Environmental Services – Although it’s no vacation, Children’s Hospital wants all inpatients and their families to be as comfortable as possible during their stay here. That is why the Environmental Services Department has started leaving “calling cards” in all the rooms they clean, something one might expect from a hotel’s housekeeping staff. The cards tell patient families the name of the person who cleaned their room in case there is something else they need or desire.
Inpatient Floors – Parents often have many questions during their child’s stay in the hospital, and it is not always easy to remember all the questions that arise, especially during a lengthy stay. The staff on Children’s Hospital’s two inpatient floors saw this need and met it with a way that strengthens child/family-centered care. A notepad was designed that can be used each day in the hospital to record questions for the child’s doctor. It also has places to keep track of the patient’s doctors, nurses and other helpers for the day. The notepads increase the interaction between child and family about the child’s care, because the child can help keep up with the notepad and record any questions they would like to ask or have their parent(s) ask their doctor. Critical Care – Children’s Hospital often serves children with chronic medical conditions that require both continuous care at home and frequent hospital visits. Parents of these children receive an enormous amount of educational and instructional information, and their clinical care team has seen an increasing need to consolidate the necessary information into a more child/family-friendly format. The Children’s Hospital staff who are a part of a child’s clinical care team have developed a parent notebook, which helps the family keep track of the information they need to better care for the patient, including lab results, discharge instructions, important phone numbers, community resources and more. Child Life and Third Floor (inpatient floor) – A member of the Child Life staff came up with a creative response to a Service Excellence need on Third Floor. She designed a display to remind staff to answer call lights as they walk down the hall. The display reads, “When do red and yellow mean ‘go?’ When you’re performing Service Excellence!” Since the call lights are red and yellow, and these colors are usually associated with stop and yield, this gets across the idea that staff should “go” immediately when they see a call light. Child Life and Respiratory Care – Child Life and Respiratory Care have worked together to help young children who need breathing treatments through a mask. Respiratory Care knows the mask is an important part of the effectiveness of the treatment, but it upsets some young children. Children between the ages of 2 and 4 years with a diagnosis of asthma or reactive airway disease are prioritized to receive a visit by a child life specialist. The specialist meets with the patient and family and assesses the child’s ability and willingness to receive breathing treatments while wearing a respiratory mask. For those children who are resistant to wearing the mask, the specialist conducts a play session where the child can give a breathing treatment to a doll or stuffed animal. The child is encouraged to touch and manipulate the mask, allowing him or her to feel a sense of control. Play with the mask is allowed before and after as well as during the treatments. This often helps those children who are resistant to wearing the mask become more cooperative, which helps the Respiratory Care staff who are giving the children their breathing treatments. |
Business Office – Although children don’t have business in the Children’s Hospital Business Office, their parents sometimes do. Because parents often bring their children with them when they have to visit the Business Office, the staff decided it would be great to have a play area for children in their office. The play area gives children a place to have fun and gives parents a way to handle their business without the stress of watching and entertaining their child the entire time. 
Food and Nutrition Services – In response to requests, the Food and Nutrition Services Department found an easy way to get parents of children who receive baby food more involved in their care. Because parents know best what their child likes and dislikes, Food Services prepared a baby food menu to allow parents to select from a list of baby food to be delivered to the child at mealtime. Previously, parents had no choice and had to make do with whatever kind of baby food was sent to them. Clinical dietitians and the Second and Third Floor nursing staff reviewed the menu to best accommodate the children who receive baby food.