Mercy St. Louis Children's Hospital Patient & Visitor Resources

We understand that having a child in the hospital is stressful for every member of your family. We are committed to giving your child the best quality care and making your child and your family as comfortable as possible. Our Child Life specialists will work to ease the stress and anxiety of your child's hospital stay.

Your Child's Room

The rooms in our pediatric areas are designed for your child’s comfort and your family’s. Each room has advanced equipment to care for your child, as well as touches that provide a healing environment. The sofa converts to a bed for a caregiver to stay overnight. Each room has a communication board to help keep you informed.

Phone calls to family and friends are a very important part of any hospital stay. Dial 9 to get an outside number. Your child’s safety and security are very important to us. We ask that you make sure the side rails are up on the bed if you step away. Also, no latex balloons are allowed in patient areas. Mylar balloons are fine. Hand washing is very important to us. It is OK to ask people who enter your room if they have washed their hands.

Pediatric patients wear a HUGS™ bracelet for their security. Please don’t take your child too close to exits as the alarm may be activated.

The wall in your room has a thermostat that you can adjust. Just look for the dial on the side of the thermostat. If you have questions or feel there’s a problem, please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. We care about your comfort.

Your Child's IV

Most pediatric patients have an intravenous (IV) line while they are hospitalized. The IV is a method of giving fluids and/or medication through a hollow catheter into a vein.

At Mercy Children’s Hospital St. Louis all of our IV fluids are administered through IV pumps. These pumps administer the exact amount of fluids that your child is pre­scribed. The IV pump runs on batteries for a little while but when your child is in his or her room, the IV pump should be plugged into the wall. Please “plug your child back in” after he or she has gone for a walk or to use the bath­room.

The IV pumps are programmed to administer flu­ids and medication and also to monitor the flow of the fluids and catch any sign of air in the tubing. When a medication is finished or there is something wrong with the administration of the IV fluids or medication, the IV pump will “beep.” This beeping is really an alarm telling us the pump needs attention. While the beeping is annoying, please do not push the buttons on the IV pump to silence the beeping. Let your child’s nurse know that the IV is beeping so that he or she can reprogram the machine or tend to any problem. This is for your child’s own safety.

Information for the Family

Parents

As parents, you are your child’s best support. You know your child better than anyone else and he or she feels much more comfortable with you around. We encourage you to be active members of our care giving team.

Brothers & Sisters

Children younger than 2 years old are especially susceptible to contagious disease found on our Pediatric units. They simply haven’t had time to build up immunity against these various illnesses. So please don’t bring children under 2 years old to visit unless absolutely necessary. Siblings older than 2 are welcome to visit during regular visiting hours.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Visitors

Visiting policies in the PICU are different from other areas of the hospital. It’s essential that you understand the special needs of patients and families in the PICU, and that you follow these special rules. You’ll receive specific PICU guidelines from your nurse upon admission.

Ronald McDonald Family Room

The Ronald McDonald Family Room is located on the 3rd floor of Mercy Children's Hospital. The first of its kind in the St. Louis area, the Family Room provides you and your family a place to rest and relax while remaining close to your child. The comfortable, home-like setting includes a living room, kitchen, nap room, shower and laundry facilities.

The Family Room is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is staffed entirely by volunteers from Ronald McDonald House Charity and Mercy.

The West County Ronald McDonald House is located on the Mercy campus for parents and families of children who are being treated at Mercy Children's Hospital. For more information about the Ronald McDonald House, please visit their website.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your child’s health care, please feel free to ask your child’s nurse or doctor. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s stay, contact the nurse manager at 314-251-5585 or refer to phone numbers listed on the communication board in each patient room.

If we can make your family’s stay with us more comfortable, please let us know.