Ward J1

About Ward J1 - Children's Surgery/Oncology

Welcome to John Hunter Children's Hospital Ward J1.

Ward J1 ward cares for up to 19 children aged 0-18 years, treating a variety of surgical and oncological problems. The ward consists of two 4 bed rooms and 11 single rooms. Priority for single rooms is determined by medical need for isolation, followed by private patients and then others.

We incorporate a team approach to care for your child with more than one nurse being allocated to the care of your child at one time. The nurses within this team work very closely with the medical staff, other health professionals, supportive therapists and other staff to ensure you and your child receive quality care.

The Nursing Unit Manager (NUM) is responsible for running the ward. Supporting the NUM in their role is a team of dedicated nursing staff including our specialised nursing staff for each medical team.

Medical staff consists of:

Surgeons
Oncologists
Paediatricians
Advanced trainees
Registrars
Resident medical officers

Other health professionals include:

Social workers
Physiotherapists
Speech pathologists
Occupational therapists
Dieticians
Pharmacists

Supportive therapists include:

Play therapist
Music therapist
Art therapist

Other staff who play an integral role in supporting the ward include the cleaners, ward clerks, clinical support officer, kitchen staff and volunteers.

Preparing to stay in J1

How should I prepare my child?

If you are aware that your child needs a hospital stay, tell them as much as possible about their stay so they understand when and why they are coming.

If you require an emergency admission and the preparation is much shorter, we then encourage you to talk to your child honestly about their illness and coming to hospital. This will help your child and the family cope with being sick.

It is important to talk to your child about coming into hospital as sometimes children worry or can misunderstand why they are going to stay in hospital.

What do I need to bring?

Bring your admission papers, blue book or other relevant medical documentation and next of kin information for the child.

Clothes

Bring a variety of clothes in for both of you: day clothes, underwear, pyjamas, a jacket for when it gets cold at night, shoes and socks. There are washing facilities in the Ronald McDonald family room but this has limited opening hours so you may need to send clothes home to be washed.

Toiletries

Tooth brush and tooth paste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, hair brush, clips and hair bands.

Toys

If your child has a special toy or blanket, please bring it with you. We do have a limited selection of DVDs and other game consoles that are available but if you want to bring in some from home please make sure they are clearly labelled and it is the parent's responsibility to care for the property that is brought to hospital.

Food

If your child likes particular foods you can bring them in and put them in the ward fridge. 3 meals and 2 snacks per day will be provided for the children. Parents will need to bring in food or buy from one of many cafes in the hospital as we do not supply food for parents. Bringing in food from home is encouraged for parents as buying food from the cafeteria several times a day for a long time can get expensive.

Formula and Bottles

Some baby formulas are available but if you have a specific type you use please bring in an unopened tin and bottles will be made up for you in a sterile area off the ward, the tin will be returned to you when you go home . Making formula on the ward is not allowed as the risk of contamination is higher than at home. Bottles are also available on the ward but if your baby only drinks from specific bottles or teats then you can bring them in with you.

Nappies

Nappies are available from birth - 15kg, if you require a larger size please bring them in with you. Night nappies/pull ups for older children will also need to be brought in.

Medication

If your child is on any regular medication please bring in the medication and tell the Doctor how much they take (dose), and how often they take it (frequency) and what time they take their medicine. Please give all medication to nursing staff when you arrive on the ward and it will be stored till you go home.

Your stay in J1

Throughout your stay in J1 you will meet many nursing staff. Each shift one nurse will be allocated to looking after your child and your family as a whole. We have a ‘Partnership in care' approach to caring for your child. You know your child the best and all staff are here to assist you with your sick child.

Children find security in their parents/carers and because of this we offer a place for ONE parent/carer to be with their child overnight, providing a bed beside their child. We understand that not all parents/carers are able to stay due to other commitments and therefore you may be able to make arrangements for another carer of your choice over the age of 18yrs to stay with your child while they are in hospital.

While in hospital the nursing staff and doctors will talk to you in person about your child, if you have any concerns please speak to your nurse or doctor. No information will be given out to anyone over the phone regarding your child.

Visiting hours are unlimited for parents and carers, other family may from 10am -8pm (at the latest). We have strict visiting access for infectious patients; please check with your nurse before entering rooms, especially young children and the elderly.

We ask that you please do not bring or make HOT (due to burns risk) drinks anywhere on the ward. If you would like to leave the ward to have a hot drink please talk to the nurse looking after your child and let them know you are leaving.

When leaving the bed or cot side please ensure the cot/bed sides are raised to prevent children from falling.

Going home

After being seen by your Doctor in the morning and you are told you are going home, there can be a wait for your paperwork. This is because the Doctors need to see all the other patients on the ward and attend to the paperwork for all families going home.

This paperwork is an important part of your hospital stay as it tells you what happened while you were in hospital and what to do when you go home. A copy of your paperwork will be sent to your nominated GP. If you require a medical certificate for work or day care please ask your Doctors when you are discussing going home.

Some children require medications when they go home and these will generally be supplied for a short period of time by the hospital. Pharmacy can sometimes take a little time to dispense your medication.

Transport back home will need to be arranged by the parent/carer. Some patients may need non-emergency patient transport to home via state ambulance. These patients will be assessed as being medically unable to make their own way home from hospital.