Paediatric Ward
Welcome to the Cabrini Paediatric Ward. We offer a comprehensive range of elective medical and surgical services to infants, children and adolescents in our modern and autism friendly paediatric ward.
| General Inquiries |
Phone: (03) 9508 1378 |
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| Additional Information |
Level 1, Malvern Hospital |
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| Operating Hours |
24 hours, 7 days per week |
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| Referral |
Required. Find out more about referrals For Patients | For GPs |
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| Downloads |
Cabrini Paediatrics - General Information on Theatre Admissions |
Locations
Cabrini Malvern
(03) 9508 1222
About our Paediatric Ward
The Cabrini Paediatric Ward is an 18 bed, autism-friendly inpatient unit including ten overnight and eight day beds. We provide a friendly and family-centred care for infants, children and adolescents who have a range of medical and surgical conditions.
Our team of expert paediatricians and paediatric surgeons are supported by an experienced team of paediatric nurses and allied healthcare professionals to ensure the highest standard of private paediatric care.
Our main ward is located at Cabrini Malvern but we are also able to offer some elective procedures at Cabrini Brighton.
Paediatric services offered
We cover a comprehensive range of paediatric specialties with significantly lower waiting times for appointments and surgery than public hospitals. Our paediatric medical and surgical services include:
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Why choose Cabrini for your child's care?
We understand that having a child admitted to hospital for illness or surgery can be a difficult and stressful time for families. Our philosophy of ‘family-centred care’ means we place our patients and their families at the very heart of our healthcare delivery.
Embedded in our philosophy is the understanding that parents remain the most knowledgeable and committed advocates for their children. Most studies show that children who have their families and significant others included and involved in their care, have a greater recovery rate and shorter length of stay in hospital.
“I just wanted to say thank you to all the wonderful staff at Cabrini that cared for my son. The care provided today was exceptional and we were treated with respect and kindness. From the nurse who called me the day before to take my son's history and explain the process, to the nurse who wheeled my son back to the car, and everyone in-between has been amazing. My son has additional needs and to have surgery was a daunting prospect for a 10 year old with Autism Spectrum disorder. As a parent of a child that has many experiences in numerous healthcare organisations, today really was a highlight and demonstrated what a fabulous hospital you have, with staff that obviously enjoy their work and are able to create a wonderful patient (and family) experience. Thank you and keep up the amazing work you all do.” – Stacey, March 2019
“I cannot speak highly enough of the care provided to my son. The whole experience from the pre-admission phone call from the ward letting us know what to expect and finding out about my son, through the operation and recovery and discharge, and then the phone call from the ward after discharge checking on how my son was doing. It was positively a 15/10 experience” - Natalie, 2018
Autism-friendly paediatric ward
Our autism-friendly paediatric ward facilities and services were developed following a research undertaken by Cabrini Health and Deakin University thanks to funding received from our generous donors Brian and Lee Johnstone.
The key findings of the research centred on enhancing communication with patients, families and staff, early identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD; autism) in children, minimizing anxiety and sensory triggers, and training and education of staff. As a result, we have introduced several autism awareness initiatives in our ward including:
- Pre-admission phone call with all parents to gather important information about their child including known coping strategies and any stressors.
- Virtual online tour of our ward to allow children and their families to familiarise themselves with our facilities in advance.
- Single room allocation where possible, even if the patient is having day surgery.
- Bedside communication whiteboards to improve communication between patients, families and staff.
- Quiet time between 1pm-3pm with dimmed lights, limited corridor traffic and quiet activities.
- Sensory Toolboxes, developed in collaboration with TLC for Kids, including a variety of toys and books to reduce any anxiety and fear.
Useful information about our ward
Children who undergo day surgery are accommodated in our 8-seat day room. Each child is allocated a comfortable recliner chair, or cot. An electronic tablet is available in each area, as well as a TV. As there is limited space within the day room, we ask that excess baggage and equipment be left at home.
Overnight stayThe Paediatric Ward is a 10-bed ward accommodating medical and surgical patients. It has eight single rooms and one shared room. Every effort is made to provide patients with single rooms, but it is not always possible as they are allocated on the health needs, or admission date of our patients.
Parent/guardian overnight stayFold-out bedding and linen will be provided to the parent or guardian staying with their child overnight. The fold-out beds must be put away during the day for accessibility to the patient’s bedside. Please note it is not hospital policy to allow siblings or partners to stay overnight.
CotsTo ensure their safety, it is hospital policy that all children under the age of three years are transported around the hospital in a cot. If your child prefers a bed, please speak with your nurse and this will be arranged, however cot or bed sides must remain up at all times.
Visiting hoursThe Paediatric Ward does not have set visiting hours. We have quiet time between 1pm and 3pm daily and aim to have the children settled for the night by 8pm.
Ward securityIn the interest of our patient's safety, entrance to the paediatric ward is locked. Please use the intercom to access the ward. All beds within the ward are covered by closed circuit cameras which relay to the nurses’ station only. This is for the safety of our patients and is not a recording device.
EntertainmentWe want your experience with us to be both positive and enjoyable. Thanks to a generous gift by the late Lindsay G. Quinn, our ward has been equipped with infra-red and kinetic sensors to allow our younger patients to interact with games during their stay with us.All patients have access to free Wi-Fi and Foxtel on all TVs including the children’s comedy and movie channels during their stay with us. We also offer a wheelchair accessible interactive playroom equipped with a range of board games, activities and books. Sensory toolboxes and quiet activities are available during quite time.
CateringA food monitor will visit your room or speak with you via the phone to arrange patient and parent meals. Menus are available at each bedside. If your child has an allergy or food sensitivity please inform your nurse. Visitors have access to the hospital café from 7am to 7pm where a selection of hot and cold food and drinks are available for purchase. Alternatively, vending machines are accessible 24 hours a day outside the café.
Your Feedback
We appreciate feedback and believe it is always best to hear from those who have experienced the care provided at the Paediatric Ward so that we have valuable, up-to-date information. While we like receiving positive comments, it is equally important to learn what did not go well so that we can make improvements.
You may like to provide your feedback via our website online feedback form via this link.