Students:
Welcome to the pediatric rotation at North Shore Children’s Hospital.
NSCH is located at 57 Highland Avenue, Salem directly adjacent to the North Shore Medical Center Emergency Department. The patient population ranges from 3 days to 18 years old and includes both medical and surgical patients. It is a family centered unit and includes a play therapy program. The staff is very experienced with nursing students and along with medical students and residents work hard to create a supportive and stimulating learning environment. Clinical experiences will include monitoring vital signs, managing IVs on an hourly basis, calculating safe dose ranges and administering medications. Because parents are integral to the well being of their children, you will have ample opportunities to sharpen your communication skills and integrate family teaching into your plans of care. Confidentiality and safety are of paramount concern in this setting.
The pediatric hospital is within the NorthShoreMedicalCenter complex and is a Partners Facility. There is also a pediatric emergency room and specialty pediatric clinics staffed by physicians fromMassGeneralHospital, Boston. Should your assigned patient be scheduled for surgery, observational experiences in the OR and PACU can be arranged. The special Care Nursery at SalemHospital cares for young, acutely ill newborns, and may be available for observational experiences during your pediatric rotation.
We look forward to meeting you all. Please be sure to bring
- proof of insurance,
- current CPR, and
- required immunizations
to the first day of theory class. This documentation is essential for you to enter the clinical setting for orientation. Also on the first day of class, you will receive information about obtaining a parking sticker, and mandatory safety training module that must be completed before the start of clinical. Lab coats are acceptable for the first day of orientation. ABSOLUTELY NO JEANS. All students must have
- a second hand watch,
- stethoscope,
- bandage scissors,
- Kelly clamp, and
- Name pin.
Failure to have essential equipment for clinical performance will result in a clinical warning. All students are required to park in an offsite lot on Jefferson Ave in Salem, and ride the shuttle to the hospital. Directions will be provided when you receive your parking stickers from security on the second floor of the DavenportBuilding. Please be sure to remember your correct license plate number when you apply. The hospital policy is that any student found parking in a lot other than the designated one will be banned from the facility, thus unable to complete his/her rotation. Hospital security is VERY VIGILANT. Students should come prepared to work hard, learn a lot, and enjoy taking care of children and their families.
In addition to your experiences at the hospital, you may have an opportunity to expand your horizons from inpatient care to pediatrics in the school setting. Those students will have a school nurse experience which includes nurse role observation, routine health screenings, some hands on care (excluding medications), and preparation/delivery of a health promotion class. This experience creates a welcomed balance between inpatient acute care pediatrics and long term management of more chronic pediatric health problems in the community.
Some students may be going to alternative clinical sites. The clinical experience at NSCH will be determined by the clinical instructor each quarter and may change from one quarter to the next due to clinical availability, student numbers, etc. Your clinical instructor will inform you regarding the specifics of your rotation.