For Ethics Week, we are featuring a different TBRHSC department daily to see what sorts of ethics questions they encounter.
What does your department do?
Our in-patient and out-patient paediatric units provide specialized care to our paediatric patients from across our vast region. Our dedicated team consists of Nurses, Social Workers, Dietitians, Child Life Specialists, Ward Clerks, Pharmacists, Respiratory Therapists as well as other support staff. It takes this whole team approach to provide the highest standard of care to the children and families we care for.
What kind of ethical issues come up in your area?
The state of the COVID pandemic and the required restrictions have been a very challenging time for paediatrics. We have recognized the need to balance the safety of all staff and patients against the disruption that the hospitalization of a child has on the entire family unit. We have continually had to assess and consider the needs of each family to make fair and safe guidelines for Essential Care Partner access. The specialized support of the paediatric patient and need to involve all key Care Partners in the delivery of the care has required thoughtful consideration of exceptions when deemed necessary.
As with other children’s hospitals from across the province, we have also had to restrict any visiting from siblings and other extended family. These restrictions can add to the anxiety and fear for all family members to be away from the ill child. It has also added an increased pressure on Parents to manage being in hospital supporting their child while still juggling needs at work and at home. Many of our patients and families have traveled far distances for care and may have limited supports and resources within the city including lack of child care for their other children. Again, it involves the support of our entire team and open dialogue with our families to be able to understand the needs specific to their situation and offer supports tailored to their concerns.
These challenges have had an emotional impact on our care team as it has forced a drastic change to our usual Patient and Family Centred care model. The team has gone above and beyond to advocate for our patients to ensure we can uphold the necessary restrictions without compromising the individual patient’s specific needs.
