Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, a division of Kidz Medical Services, provides treatment for critically ill patients from newborn to 18 years of age. It is under the direction of a board certified pediatrician with many years experience with critically ill children. Our team includes both pediatric intensivists and nurse practitioners who are specialized in pediatric critical care. While in the PICU, each patient receives an individualized plan of care daily and we encourage patients and family members to be involved in all aspects of their child's stay. Our group is committed to the care and safety of your child while hospitalized.

 

The Duties and Responsibilities of Pediatric Intensivists and Nurse Practitioners

The PICU also performs the following services:

Child life specialists are specialized individuals that support the emotional and developmental well being of hospitalized children. They help to decrease the fear and anxiety that a hospitalized child might have by providing therapeutic, developmentally appropriate interventions. Some of these interventions include distraction activities during painful procedures, such as IV starts, medical play, hospital tours, procedural preparation books, and medical puppets.

In addition, behavioral medicine therapists are available to provide psychosocial and emotional support, as well as counseling, to children and their families during their hospitalization.

Child life specialists and behavioral medicine therapists work closely with the nurses, physicians, and nurse practitioners to provide a less stressful time while a child is hospitalized.

Our pet therapy program is another diversion activity that we provide. Volunteers of the hospital bring their own pets to visit children and their families, on a regular basis, in the PICU for a much needed break and laugh.

Quantum House

The Quantum house is a place that provides temporary housing and emotional support to families of critically ill hospitalized children, who may reside far away from the hospital. They are located on the hospital's campus which provides the reassurance of being close to their hospitalized child. For more information on this "caring place to call home", please visit their website at www.quantumhouse.org.

Definitions this Page

PICU
PICU is an acronym for the term Peditaric Intensive Care Unit. Back

Pediatric Intensivists
Pediatric Intensivists treat children from birth through the teen years. They choose to make caring for children who are very sick the core of their medical practice. Their advanced training and experience prepare them to give children in PICUs the unique medical care that they need. Back