Why is this project needed?

Resuscitation of a paediatric patient can often take a number of hours. Having a fully equipped resuscitation room on the paediatric ward will allow these patients to remain on the ward so that nursing staff are not re-deployed to other areas (including ITU and theatres) to provide ongoing care for these patients.

Most importantly, in our current set up, critically ill patients are resuscitated in the open bays on our wards or in cramped side rooms. This can be very distressing and worrying for other patients and families and lacks privacy and dignity for the critically ill patient and their family. A dedicated resuscitation room would enable all patients and their families to receive the best possible treatment and care, whilst ensuring complete privacy.

Dr Seema Sukhani, Consultant Paediatrician reflected on a previous experience, to highlight the importance of having a dedicated resuscitation and stabilisation room: “A 12 year old girl with a severe chest infection needed further support for breathing. Due to the lack of space, the initial stabilisation was carried out at the bedside, located in the middle of the bay. Despite use of curtains to separate bed spaces, stabilisation of a seriously ill child in the open bay area can be frightening and traumatic for other patients and families to witness, especially if they require invasive procedures or cardiac compressions.”