Few things are as stressful as having a very sick or injured child, and a trip to the emergency department (ED) can make an already tough experience even more nerve wracking. That’s why GBMC has a separate pediatric emergency department where children and their parents get the care they need as quickly as possible in a calm, comforting atmosphere. The pediatric ED was recently redesigned and renovated to make the experience even better for families. Lauren Rogers, RN2, a pediatric ED nurse, talked with Mary Beth Marsden about what’s new and what families can expect in the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic.




“One of the questions we get frequently is whether parents can stay with their child with the COVID-19 restrictions,” said Lauren. “Each child can have two parents or guardians with him or her throughout the process. If the child needs to stay in the hospital overnight, there is a pullout couch and chair that fully reclines as well as blankets so the parents can spend the night with their child. Both parents and children need to wear a mask while they’re in the hospital and other children in the family need to stay at home to protect them from potential exposure to the virus.”




The newly renovated pediatric ED is designed so that even before a child is taken back into the ED, nurses can gather information about symptoms and order the necessary tests. Then, when the physician sees the child, he or she is ready to be assessed. “The new design allows us to provide hands-on care to our patients more quickly, streamlining the process,” Lauren explained.




If you’re not sure whether your child needs to go to the ED, she recommends that, when possible, you call your pediatrician first, which may save you a trip to the hospital. If your child is having trouble breathing, is unusually pale, sweating, has a new fever of 100.4 degrees for 24 hours, or is not acting like him or herself, Lauren says you should bring your child to the ED without delay.