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If your child is of pre-school age, a brief explanation the day before admission is appropriate, eg. 

“We’re going to stay at the hospital for the next few days. The doctor will do an operation to help your heart work betterâ€�. 

Your child may have a more developed understanding that they have a heart problem, allowing for a more in depth conversation of why they need the procedure. In these children, this preparation is most effective if commenced a week before hospitalisation. 

Explain to your child they will not see, hear or feel anything during surgery because of a special sleep medicine. Provide reassurance that they will only wake up after the operation is finished. Reassure them that if something hurts, they will be given medicine to help with the pain.

Involve your child in packing his or her bag including any favourite toys, books, games, music, movies and photos that will serve as comforters.

Medical play (see below) can be very beneficial for these age groups.  Staying at the bedside overnight and during the day with your child is very beneficial to your child, and is strongly encouraged by the ward.  

Older children and adolescents may request more in depth information and a longer preparation period. As with children of all ages however, their personality will play a role in the depth of preparation they want. 

Some older children will want to know every detail of what will happen to them, while for others this may actually increase anxiety levels. Your child will often tell you what they want to know.

It is very important to involve children of this age in decision making around their treatment, this will support a sense of control over the situation. In regard to certain procedures, staff will often allow for reasonable negotiation with your child as to when the procedure occurs. 

The health care team have a great deal of experience with children of all ages so feel free to involve them at any point you feel necessary. 

Read age-appropriate books or watch videos about visiting the hospital.  Provide opportunities for medical play. Toy doctors kits, dress-ups, dolls and stuffed animals are a great way of supporting children to become more familiar with medical equipment and procedures. 

Let your child lead the play and discussion, validating any feelings they express. Provide simple explanations and correct any misconceptions as they arise. Ask your care team for more information about medical play. 

Child Life Therapists aim to minimise the stress associated with hospitalisation and support children and their families to cope more positively with their healthcare experience.

Before admission

Before admission, the Child Life Therapist is available to help prepare your child for surgery and hospitalisation. This is done using a variety of developmentally appropriate resources, including photographs, social stories, medical play and visits to certain areas of the hospital. If you feel your child would benefit from this, please contact the Child Life Therapy Department before your child’s pre admission visit.

During admission

During admission, the Child Life Therapist can provide support in the following ways:

• assisting children to develop coping strategies, such as imagery and deep breathing, to reduce anxiety
• providing support during medical procedures and utilising distraction techniques to help children focus on something relaxation and engaging
• offering therapeutic play activities that help children to express their feelings in a safe and non-threatening environment eg. playdough, painting and feeling charts
• providing developmental play experiences to normalise the environment  
• creating sticker or goal charts to assist in medicine taking, behaviour management and adjustment to new treatments

If you would like to arrange to meet a Child Life Therapist while your child is an inpatient, please speak with your child’s nurse or care team. 

• What to bring to hospital checklist
• For children undergoing cardiac surgery it is recommended to pack two-piece pyjamas with front buttons and preferably short or wide sleeves. 
• For infants and toddlers, onesies that close through the front are recommended. Slightly oversized pyjamas and tops are often easier to get on after surgery.
• Packing preferred feminine products is recommended as it is common to have a period in the days following surgery, even when a period is not due.

For children being admitted on the day of their operation, they will be admitted to Middleton Day Surgery. 

Middleton Ward nursing staff will call you three business days before your child’s surgery date. The nurse will ask you questions related to how well your child is. You will also be given estimated arrival times for the day of surgery.

The business day before surgery Middleton Ward nursing staff will call you between 2pm and 8pm with finalised arrival and fasting times. 

It is important that you write these times down and follow them strictly. Your child must have nothing to eat or drink (not even a sip of water from the time you are told to fast). Failure for your child to fast may result in significant delays to surgery, or even cancellation. 

If you have not received a call by 5:30pm, please call Middleton Ward on (02) 7825 2222.