Surgical Short Stay Unit Information sheet
Contact details
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Introduction
A guide to recovery process for children in Surgical Short Stay Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
Recovery and discharge
Your child has been booked in for surgery at The Children鈥檚 Hospital at Westmead. Following your child鈥檚 surgical procedure, they may require a short admission to support their recovery.
Your child will be admitted to the Surgical Short Stay Unit (SSSU) if a bed is available, or alternatively, they will receive the same care in another Surgical Inpatient Unit at the Hospital. One parent can stay overnight at the child鈥檚 bedside.
The SSSU is located within the Surgical Inpatient Ward on level 2 at The Children鈥檚 Hospital at Westmead.
After your child鈥檚 surgical procedure
In recovery, your child鈥檚 surgical team will update you on your child鈥檚 procedure. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have for the surgical team.
If the Surgical team are unable to see you while your child is in recovery, they will come and talk to you on the ward.
When your child is safe to leave recovery, you will be transferred to the Surgical Short Stay Unit.
Your child will commence on a criteria-led discharge pathway.
Criteria-led discharge
Criteria-led discharge is a process to make sure your child鈥檚 discharge from the hospital occurs as soon as they are medically ready.
It has many benefits for both you and your child:
- There is a clear outline of what is required before your child is discharged.
- Your child will spend less time in the Surgical Short Stay unit because decisions about their discharge are made earlier in their stay.
Clinical staff will set some criteria for your child including things like eating and drinking and having controlled pain after surgery.
These criteria will be documented in your child鈥檚 medical record.
Staff will work with you and your child to meet these criteria so that your child can go home as quickly and safely as possible.
A nurse will confirm that your child has met all the agreed criteria.
Your child won't be discharged before all the criteria have been met.
Discharge day
We will give you an estimated time of discharge, so you can arrange appropriate transport, if required.
When your child has been cleared for discharge, please leave the patient room. There are several spaces throughout the hospital to wait if your transport home is delayed.
If required, we will provide medications/scripts for you on discharge, along with any follow-up appointments.
Education and support to care for your child at home is provided by our nursing and allied health staff.
We will also give you contact phone numbers if you need support or advice after discharge.
If there are no outstanding issues, your child will be able to go home without seeing your doctor again in hospital. If there are any concerns, the doctor will be contacted to review your child.