Staff in the PICU

Staff who work in the PICU 24/7

Doctor

There is always a doctor or several doctors working in the PICU. They will talk to you regularly about how your child is progressing. If your child is on a ventilator they will regularly check it is working well for your child. They will have the overview of what is happening with each patient and work closely with nursing staff. They will also communicate with families and carers to explain treatment, tests and results.

Sometimes ICU doctors will discuss patients with specialist doctors visiting the PICU. For example, PICU doctors work closely with surgeons after a child requires major surgery

Nurse

In PICU there is often one nurse caring for one child. Sometimes a nurse will be caring for 2 children on PICU. The PICU nurse is highly-skilled and will know about any changes in your child's situation needing attention. PICU nurses have a deep understanding of how hard it can be for children and families on PICU. They will help involve you in the care of your child.

Ask your nurse questions if you don't understand what is going on with your child. Let your child's nurse know if you feel like your need more emotional or practical support.

Nurse coordinator

The nurse coordinator has an overview of a child's care. They act as a single point of reference for your child and your family.
Their role is to:

  • coordinate care if your child is on PICU for a long time
  • coordinate care for a child with complex needs who needs support from many different specialty teams
  • help with education about your child's condition
  • help make discharge from PICU smooth for your child
  • help make sure that follow up and ongoing care is organised for your child

Other staff working in PICU

Child Life Therapist

A Child Life Therapist has knowledge about child development, education and play. They will help your child to understand what is happening in the PICU. They will organise play and fun activities for your child. They also have strategies to help your child manage feeling worried or upset. A Child Life Therapist will also work with a child's siblings and family to help them understand what is happening.

Dietician

Dieticians advise on nutrition and feeding for children in PICU. They help ensure that children in PICU to get the right nutrition they need to recover.

Music therapist

Music can help a child feel relaxed and safe. It can also help with sleep and recovery. Music therapists bring music to children in the PICU. As children recover they may be able to play music and sing as a fun activity in their hospital room.

Occupational therapist

The occupational therapist will help with daily activities that your child loves to do or needs to do including learning and play. They will help your child to manage activities such as eating, dressing, washing and toileting.

Pastoral Care Chaplain

Many hospitals have Pastoral Care Chaplains that come from different faiths and traditions. Non-religious patients and families are welcome to talk with the Pastoral Care Chaplain. Pastoral Care Chaplains are trained to work with people who have a strong faith as well as those with no particular faith.

The Pastoral Care Chaplain can offer any type of spiritual counselling. They will pray with patients and families. They also offer support, baptisms, blessings or can just be there to talk. Sometimes families would like a minister from their own faith tradition to visit their child. The Pastoral Care Chaplain will help arrange this.

Patient Support Assistant

A Patient Support Assistant is sometimes called a “PSA”. These support workers clean and maintain the PICU environment to a high standard. They help move or transfer your child to another part of the hospital (for example to the surgical theatres). They also serve patient meals and collect trolleys.

Pharmacist

The pharmacist has expert knowledge on medications. They understand how medications work. They advise on medication doses and side effects. Having a pharmacist on the team has been shown to help prevent drug errors. They assist in tailoring doses of medications for children on PICU. Some PICUs have their own pharmacist. Other hospitals have a pharmacist who visits the PICU.
 
The pharmacist's role involves:

  • checking medications a child may have been taking before PICU
  • checking through the medications on a child's chart
  • making sure medications are working well when given together
  • supplying and helping prepare medications in the PICU
  • discussing medications with children, families and carers
  • educating PICU staff to ensure medications are used correctly

Physiotherapist

The physiotherapist will help your child to get moving again.
This may mean:

  • helping your child to do exercises in bed
  • playing on the floor with your child
  • helping your child to sit in a chair
  • going for a walk with your child

The physiotherapist may also help your child with breathing exercises. They have techniques to help your child with coughing to clear away phelgm.

Psychologist/ Psychiatrist

A psychologist provides mental health support for your child and your family. Feeling scared, sad, confused, angry and frustrated are normal emotions children can feel on PICU. The psychologist will help your child and family manage these emotions.

Researcher

Researchers sometimes visit the PICU. They are working on projects to improve understanding and treatments for children on PICU. They will ask for permission to chat with you. You can ask researchers to return at another time if that works better for you and your child.

Social worker

Being sick and needing to be in the PICU can be difficult and frightening. The social worker is there to support the emotional and practical needs of your family.

They assist you and your family to access mental health support, financial support and other practical supports.

Speech therapist

The speech therapist provides support for children if they have challenges with communicating on PICU. For example a child may require breathing support that also makes it hard to talk. Speech therapists also help support children to make sure they are safely chewing and swallowing food when they eat.

Related topics

This topic was reviewed by a paediatric intensive care medicine specialist in August 2022.

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