MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is proud to introduce a new, specialized state of the art Pediatric Transplant Unit, opening this spring. The facility was designed specifically to serve our special patients, who have been receiving care for life-saving organ transplants from experienced PICU/Pediatric Transplant team members.
This is one of the few Medicaid- approved pediatric small bowel/multi-organ transplant units in the nation, and the only one in the mid-Atlantic region.
Our new unit was designed with family-centered care in mind, drawing on substantial input from our Pediatric Transplant Nursing Team. Each room has a sleep couch, and several larger rooms meet the needs of patients whose families travel long distances for care, with longer stays anticipated.
The Pediatric Transplant Nursing team deals with a wide spectrum of care, from pre-op workups, through the surgical procedures, and post-operative course. Nurses are trained in transplant-specific medications, laboratory values, and patient and wound care. Care is frequently complex and high-tech, and requires keen assessment, patient and parent-care skills. We value continuing education, and we encourage all experienced nurses to gain national certification in care of the transplant patient.
Our Pediatric Transplant nurses serve as a model for MedStar Georgetown with patient/family education initiatives. They developed and continue to expand a personalized, tailored after-care booklet that provide families with the information they need to anticipate post-op care, including descriptions of medications and administration directives, guidelines on procedures and lists of equipment and their use.
These dedicated nurses are contributing to a growing field that shows great promise for improving the lives of these small patients. Members of the Pediatric Transplant Nursing team participate in Shared Governance, pursue educational opportunities in the clinical and academic arenas, and attend numerous regional and national conferences.
