Inpatient Resource Guide

Daily Routine

The routine on the inpatient floors is simple and fairly easy to predict. Your child’s daily routine may change based on their medical needs.

Patient-Family Centered Care

Each morning a doctor or nurse practitioner will come to your room to see your child and discuss the plan of care.
Your child’s plan of care is designed around the individual care needs of the patient and family. Family caregivers are encouraged to participate during care team discussions to address any questions or concerns you may have.
Each nurse is on the unit for 8 to 12 hours at a time. Before leaving, your nurse will give a full report to the next nurse about how your child is doing. This usually takes place at the bedside. You are encouraged to participate and ask questions.
Your child’s nurse will come into the room each hour to check on your child. They may give medicines, check intake and output, take blood samples for lab work, and assess your child including pain, position, nutrition, toileting, devices, and safety needs.
Your child’s nurse will give your child their medicines on a given schedule. Some medicines, such as medicines for nausea or pain, may be given as needed.
Use your call light any other time that you or your child need something.

Vital Signs

Every 2 to 4 hours, your nurse or patient care associate will come into your child’s room to take vital signs—temperature, blood pressure, respiratory (breathing) rate, and heart rate.
Because children need rest, staff will try not to wake your child when vital signs are taken during the night. Even so, your child must be checked this often for medical safety.

Safety Measures

Positive Patient Identification: Your child will get a patient armband to wear. The armband should remain on your child at all times. St. Jude staff will check your child’s armband and ask you their legal name and medical records number (MRN). This helps staff know exactly who each child is and what they need to ensure correct care is provided. The armband will be checked by two nurses during chemotherapy and when giving blood products.

Fall Prevention: Take steps to prevent falls. Keep bed rails up, watch for trip hazards, and make sure your child wears slip-free socks or footwear. A green armband means your child is at higher risk for falls.

Infection Prevention: Take steps to prevent the spread of germs. Wear a face mask as instructed. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before entering and when exiting your child's room. Follow all care team instructions to prevent infection including guidelines for Isolation Precautions if needed.

Patient Bathroom: Do not use the patient’s bathroom. Use the bathroom located in the parent room only. This is especially important if your child is receiving chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy Precautions: If your child is receiving chemotherapy, wear gloves during diaper changes or when you may come into contact with any body fluids.

Sleep Safety: For your child’s safety, do not sleep in the bed with your child. Using lights during the day and darkness at bedtime can help promote a more normal sleep pattern.

Talk to your care team about any questions or concerns. If you need immediate help, you may call a Rapid Response Team by dialing (3999) on any room phone. Or call 901-595-3999 on your cell phone.

Rooms and Amenities

Patient Room: Each room is private with an attached parent room. The patient rooms have a TV, private phone, and bathroom with tub. Your child can even bring in a video game system. The TV in your child’s room has local and cable TV channels, videos for all age groups, patient education, and St. Jude information. An HDMI port is available below the TV to plug in your personal gaming device. Once plugged in, turn to channel 99 to use your device.

Food: You will receive a menu to order meals and snacks for your child. To place an order, call Room Service at 901-595-3000 (extension 3000 on a hospital phone). Your child’s meal should arrive within 45 minutes.

Room service is available for the inpatient and one caregiver. All other visitors may visit Kay Kafe, located on the first floor of the Richard C. Shadyac ALSAC Tower. If your child has food allergies or dietary restrictions, Clinical Nutrition will give those details to the Food Services staff.
Room Service hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bringing food into the room: You may bring food into the hospital room to eat with your child. Be sure to throw away opened food after one hour. This will prevent harmful bacteria from growing on the items. Do not store food in your child's room because food may attract insects that can carry disease.
Refrigerator: Food brought to the unit should be stored in the Family Lounge refrigerator on the floor. Write your child’s name and the current date on each container. Unused food is removed every 3 days or right away if it is spoiled.
Nutrition Center: Each Inpatient Unit has a Nutrition Center that is open 24/7. This area is stocked with cereal, juice, milk, gelatin, applesauce, crackers, soups, ice cream, and condiments. The room has a microwave, bowls, plates, and eating utensils. You can take anything your child would like to eat. Food brought into the unit cannot be stored in the Nutrition Center.

Laundry Room: A laundry room with a washer and dryer is available on the north side of ICU, Kay 3, 4, and 5, and in the center hallway of the BMT Unit. Each room is open 24 hours a day.

Family Lounge: A family lounge area is located on each floor. It has a coffee maker, TV, shared computer, and refrigerator.

Inpatient Activity Rooms: Activity rooms and playrooms are available on Kay 3, Kay 4, and Kay 5 for patients staying on that floor. Rooms are open 24/7 but are closed at times for cleaning.

Parent Exercise Room: The Parent Exercise Room inside the hospital is open to people 18 and older. No patients are allowed in the exercise room. Please follow all rules posted in the room. To enter, press the intercom outside the door and identify yourself to the security guard. The guard will unlock the door for you.

Two changing rooms with toilets and showers are nearby, in Rooms IAP-109 and IAP110. You must bring your own bath towel and hygiene products.

Family Commons: Located on the 2nd floor of the PCC, Family Commons provides a treatment free zone for patient families. Because of their extra care needs, patients are not allowed in Family Commons during their inpatient admission.

Services and Support

Aromatherapy: The Bedside Aromatherapy Program was developed by the Integrative Medicine, Quality of Life, and Nursing teams at St. Jude. The goal of this program is to provide patients with aromatherapy options for comfort and symptom support. Specific essential oils are available for use in our hospital.

Examples of essential oils and their possible use include:

· Lavender: sleep problems, stress and anxiety, cough, stomach cramps

· Spearmint: nausea, upset stomach, cough, stress and anxiety

· Orange: sleep problems, upset stomach, stress and anxiety

· Ginger: nausea, loss of appetite, cough, sore throat

· Lemon: sleep problems, stress and anxiety

Ask your care team if aromatherapy is right for your child.

Spiritual Care Services: St. Jude has a chapel on the 1st floor of the Patient Care Center (PCC) and a sacred place located in Family Commons on the 2nd floor of PCC.

To reach a chaplain 24 hours a day, call 1-866-278-5833 and ask the operator to page the on-call chaplain. To request prayer, email prayer@stjude.org.

Concierge Services: The Concierge Services team, called BEST, can help with many non-medical tasks. The service is free. You pay only for any goods or services. Visit the Concierge Services desk in the Chili’s Care Center lobby.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Email: ConciergeServices@stjude.org

Concierge Services desk: 901-595-4000

Chili’s Care Center desk: 901-595-8605

Short-Term Supervision for Children: Helping Hands respite care provides volunteers to sit with children so family caregivers can have a brief break. The service is available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sessions should be scheduled ahead of time and may last up to 2 hours. Speak with any staff member to schedule a session.

Find more information on Services and Support.

If you have questions while on the inpatient unit, please ask your nurse.

Learn more about the Resources for Patient Families at St. Jude.