Patient Care Unit Information: 13 West

Welcome to 13 West. We are an acute care pediatric unit serving many Institutes of the National Institutes of Health. Most of our patients have cancer, disorders of the immune system, or blood disorders.

If your child is admitted to our unit, we welcome your involvement as a parent or guardian in your child’s care. We strive to make your child’s stay as much like home as possible. We encourage one parent or family member over the age of 18 to stay overnight with patients under the age of 18.

Your child’s room

Please be aware that you are likely to be in a double room, where you will share a bathroom and phone line. The bath tub/shower is shared with the adjoining room. Single rooms on the unit are reserved for patients requiring isolation or families needing a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.

All rooms have a parent bed. Restrooms for family use are available across the hall.

Please note: We do not have shower facilities for family members. If you are staying overnight with your child and don’t live in the area or have a room at the Children’s Inn, you will be allowed to shower in your child’s room.

Accommodations for siblings or other relativesm

If siblings or other relatives wish to stay in the area during your child’s hospitalization, arrangements for their accommodations should be made before you arrive.

NIH provides medical care for patients only. Family members who need immediate medical care will be taken to nearby Suburban Hospital.

Linens, pajamas, towels

These items are available in the Treatment Room, located at the end of the hall. Please help yourself to these items. Washers and dryers for your personal use are on the B1 level (room B1N237). Ask your nurse for free tokens and laundry detergent.

Personal belongings and valuables

Space for personal belongings is limited. Label your belongings and place them in the designated area of your room. We cannot be held responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced items. The cashier’s office can secure valuables if you forget to leave them at home.

Refreshments/refrigerator and microwave

At the nurses’ station, there is a refrigerator containing milk, juices, and other refreshments for patients. There is also a small snack room where crackers, cold and hot cereals, soup, coffee, and tea are kept. Feel free to use the snack area.

A refrigerator and microwave oven are available in the Family Room. Please date and place your name on all food stored in the refrigerator. Please throw away your items when you are discharged.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the Clinical Center. The designated smoking area is on the sun deck outside the South Lobby.

Television

Each patient room has a color television. Channel 10 offers movies.

VCRs

The VCR on the unit can show movies unit-wide. Because our unit serves a wide age range of patients, only age-appropriate movies are shown on the VCR. Portable VCRs may be available for bedside viewing of other movies. The Therapeutic Recreation Section has a large selection of movies for patient use.

Quiet time

To promote rest and a peaceful environment, all lights and music should be turned off at 10 p.m.. Between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., you may use earphones while watching television, or use the Family Room for reading, games, or other activities.

Visitors

If you are expecting visitors, please check with your nurse about proper protection to prevent your child from getting or spreading communicable infections (like colds or the flu). Please have your visitors check in at the nurses’ station. The nursing staff must screen all visitors under the age of 18.

Gifts sent to the unit

If friends or family want to send gifts to you while you are in the hospital, please use caution before accepting them. Fresh flowers, plants, or fruit baskets may carry a risk of infection for your child and his/her roommate. Please ask your nurse before accepting these items.

Mail

Provide this address to your friends and relatives:

Patient Name
NIH Clinical Center
Building10, 13 West PCU
10 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

Playroom

We have a playroom on the unit, staffed by recreation therapists. The playroom allows children to play uninterrupted by medical procedures. In the playroom, children can play with other children, as well as with toys and a computer. We invite you to enjoy this room with your child.

Before leaving your child in the playroom without your supervision, check whether a recreation therapist is available. Children are expected to clean up after themselves before they leave the playroom.

School

Schooling (kindergarten through 12th grade) is available at bedside or in a classroom setting during the school year. Please bring textbooks and school assignments.

Shuttles

NIH operates free shuttles to and from BWI and Reagan National Airports from Sunday to Friday, excluding holidays. NIH also operates free shuttles to and from many area hotels and motels, and the Children’s Inn. Shuttle schedules are available at the transportation desk.

Volunteer services

Hospitalization is a stressful period for the family. When you need assistance, talk with your nurse or social worker about ways to make your stay easier. Volunteers can provide respite and relief for parents, patients or their siblings. Please speak to your nurse if you are interested in volunteer services.

We look forward to meeting you and your child.

This information is prepared specifically for patients taking part in clinical research at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health. It may not apply to individuals who are patients elsewhere. If you have questions about the information presented here, talk to a member of your health care team.