The staff of the Medical, Surgical, and Neurosciences Unit (MSNU) helps by caring for patients and families with a variety of conditions and needs, including General Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic, Cardiac, Urology, and children with burns and reconstructive surgery.
How we help
We recognize that you are the expert when it comes to knowing your child and we want to work with you to meet your child’s needs. We also recognize it is difficult for families when a child is in hospital, so we encourage you to “room-in” with your child, if possible. Please discuss your rooming-in plans with your child’s nurse, and be sure to talk about what part of the care you wish to help with so that we can work together to meet your child’s needs. Each patient room contains a single day bed and a reclining chair. As there are no cots available, families are responsible for any additional sleep requirements. Space restrictions and/ or your child’s safety may limit the number of caregivers rooming-in.
The IWK has a “Dial for Dining” service. Patients and Families can order meals 24 hours a day by calling 555 and meals are delivered to the patient room. Dial for Dining allows patients to order what they want when they want by choosing from a restaurant style menu. In addition to the regular menu, Halal, vegetarian, diabetic and various other menus are available.
Stocked in the 7 Link Family Nutrition Room is a limited supply of bread, popsicles, ice cream and ice/water machine for patient use. Many MSNU rooms have mini-fridges. The kitchen is equipped with a microwave, fridge, toaster and kettle that you are welcome to use.
Families are responsible for tidying up all personal belongings so that Housekeeping can properly clean the room. Your bed and/or room location may change during your stay as we try to meet the various needs of our patients/families.
Who you’ll meet
Our health care team consists of many professionals, learners, and support staff. We believe in a team approach and families are a key part of the team. If we can be of assistance in making your stay a more positive one, please do not hesitate to ask questions or offer suggestions. We will try to work within your child’s home routine; however, this may not always be possible because of tests and other procedures.
Before leaving the unit for walks, going to the playroom, or to other parts of the hospital, please check with your child’s nurse to ensure no treatments or medications are due.
Registered Nurses (RNs) and Care Team Assistants (CTAs) work 12-hour shifts from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. Change of shift is a busy time, so we would ask for your patience during the period from 6:30 – 7:30 in the morning and at night. CTAs assist RNs in providing patient care.
During weekdays, many of the doctors visit the units between 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.