Neurotrauma Rehabilitation Specialists at Children's Hospital Colorado

• Pediatric Rehabilitation Physicians ("physiatrists") will be coordinating and managing all of your child’s medical needs on the inpatient Neurotrauma Rehab Unit. You will be seen by your rehabilitation doctor every day.

• Nurses: On the Inpatient Neurotrauma Rehab Unit, we support a primary nursing system. This means that there will be several nurses who will be in charge of coordinating all of the nursing care. They also assist with communication and coordination of all of the child’s needs and will help families learn patient care. Although it is not always possible, they try to keep a consistent set of nurses working directly with families and the patients. All registered nurses are cross-trained to include Neurotrauma Rehab, Neurosurgery, and orthopedics. All registered nurses are certified in BLS (basic life support) and all are certified in PALS (pediatric advanced life support)or ENPC ( Emergency pediatric Nursing course)

• A registered dietitian will evaluate the child’s nutritional status and suggest a special diet that meets his or her nutritional needs while in the hospital.

• A physical therapist (PT) will be working with the child to help improve his or her independence and mobility. The PT will help with transfers, strengthening, range of motion, and ordering of equipment such as crutches, wheelchairs, and bath equipment if needed.

• An occupational therapist (OT) will work with the child to help increase independence for "activities of daily living." These activities include eating, dressing, and bathing. The OT is also the specialist for feeding.

• A speech–language pathologist will be involved to help with language and communication and will work with the child on improving his or her speech and mouth movements.

• A therapeutic recreation/child life specialist is available on a referral basis to assist you with ideas for involving the child in play and recreational activities as part of rehabilitation. On the inpatient unit, there is an Activity Room open during posted daytime hours for the child and family to use. Brothers and sisters may use this area when accompanied by their brother or sister who is a patient on the unit. In the evenings, activities are staffed in this room by hospital volunteers who are trained by the Therapeutic Recreation Department. These volunteers also can be available to the child for room visits.

• A clinical social worker will help families coordinate resources for discharge and is available to help provide emotional support. The social worker will arrange to have family meetings with the child’s treatment team. In addition, he or she and the psychologist are also available to help with the family’s concerns about siblings’ reactions to the hospital experience if needed.

• Because an injury or hospitalization can be stressful, a pediatric psychologist is available to help the child emotionally adjust to his or her current situation and cope most effectively with the stress and changes caused by the injuries or illness. Our psychologists are all doctoral degreed and specially trained in child and adolescent treatment and neuropsychological assessment. They consult with parents and school personnel to assist with the child’s optimal return to school.

• When necessary, respiratory therapists and a pulmonary rehab specialist will be called in if the child has any difficulty breathing as a result of his or her illness or injury.

• A learning specialist is a teacher trained in assisting children with special needs. He or she will be able to continue the child’s schoolwork at the appropriate level and help families with planning for the child’s going back to school in the future.

• A case manager is assigned to coordinate benefits with families’ insurance companies and to facilitate discharge plans for the care the child may need at home.