Have you ever been to hospital before?
You may need to go to the hospital for some treatments, like an operation to get your tonsils out or a special x-ray called a scan.
Sometimes, if that happens, you will have to be put into a special medical sleep called an anaesthetic. We'll explain more of this a little later.
It might be a bit scary coming to this place you don't know and meeting lots of new people who work here.
We're going to show you today what you can expect during your stay at the hospital.
We'll also meet some of the people who might be looking after you.
You may be able to come to the hospital on the same day as your treatment. You will have to go to the theatre reception to be checked in. Look out for signs for reception.
If you live far away from the hospital, you might have to stay the night before in our special children's ward.
In this ward, there will be a nurse who looks after you and many other children who are in hospital for all sorts of reasons.
If you go into this ward, you might even have a visit from the play specialist, who will show you some fun activities and help you understand what happens in a hospital.
If you are having the special medical sleep, the anaesthetic, you will be told not to eat anything for at least 6 hours and not to drink anything for an hour beforehand. This is important, so your tummy is empty, as the anaesthetic can affect how your tummy works.
In reception, the lovely receptionist will get your file and check that all your information is correct, like your name, address and birthday.
You will sit in the waiting room until a nurse calls you to do some checks.
There is a small playroom in the waiting room with a few toys, where you can play and where you might meet other children who are also waiting for treatment.
If you prefer, you can sit in the bigger waiting room with the adults.
It's a good idea to bring something you enjoy doing with you, like a game, a movie to watch or a book to read.
A nurse will take you into another small room where they will check some observations, like your heart rate, temperature and weight.
It's important to know how much you weigh because some of the medicine you might need is measured out depending on your weight.
If you've come into the children's ward the day before you're having an operation or a scan, which we sometimes call a 'procedure', an attendant will take you to the specific area where you will meet the team who will look after you while you have your special medical sleep. Your ward nurse and your adult can come along too.
You will also be seen by the surgeon and the anaesthetist. These are specially trained doctors who know how to care for you. The surgeon, the doctor who will be doing your operation, will talk to you and your adult and explain what they'll be doing.
They may draw an arrow on you to show where the operation will be. If you have any questions about any of that, they're always happy to answer them.
The anaesthetist, the doctor who will give you medicine for the special medical sleep, will also have a chat with you and explain what you can expect. They will ask you and your adult many questions and may listen to your chest and look in your mouth.
If you are feeling a little nervous, you can always talk to them about it. They may give you some calming medicine to help with the butterflies in your tummy. The anaesthetic room is just next door to the theatre. You will meet the anaesthetic technician who helps the anaesthetist and the theateer nurses who help the surgeon and organise the theatre.
This team of people will check your special ID bracelet that goes around your wrist and ask some more questions. All of this is to ensure that you'll be kept safe while you're in the theatre.
The room where you have your operation is called the operating room or theatre. Some children like to walk into the theatre themselves, while others prefer to be carried in by their adult.
The best part is you get to choose! You can bring your favourite toy to come sleep with you. You can also choose whether you want to hop onto the theatre table or whether you'd prefer to sit on your adult's lap while going off to sleep.
Your mum, dad, or caregiver can be with you the whole time until you fall asleep.
There are different ways that the anaesthetist can help you go into your special medical sleep, and they'll explain this to you. One option might be breathing in some gas through a nice-smelling mask.
You may be able to choose a special smell to put onto your mask — chocolate, strawberry, watermelon, or even marshmallows!
The other option you could choose to go into your special medical sleep is by a tiny straw called a cannula. This tiny straw will be put into your hand into a place called the vein with a very tiny needle.
Before the needle is used, we have a magic numbing cream that we put on your skin and keep it there with a sticker for quite a long time. This magic numbing cream means you'll hardly feel anything when the canula is put in your hand.
If you are having a mask with gas to have your special medical sleep, you might start feeling a little floaty as you get sleepier. This is common, and you'll soon feel very tired and eventually fall asleep.
If you are having a cannula to have your special medical sleep, sometimes this medicine can feel really cold as it goes in.
You may hear the anaesthetist tell you a funny story, or maybe you'll even get to play a game. You'll find that you get sleepy very quickly because of the speedy medicine that's put into the cannula. You might not even have time to count to 10.
The anaesthetist may put some pieces of equipment on you; these are called monitoring. They will help the anaesthetist look after you the whole time you're in your special medical sleep.
When you're in your special medical sleep and having your procedure, the anaesthetist will give you more medicine that they know will be helpful. They'll be looking after you and keeping you safe the whole time that you're asleep. Their aim is for you to wake up feeling good.
Once your procedure is finished, the anaesthetist will wake you up. You'll be taken to a different place called the wake up room or recovery.
In recovery, a nurse will look after you for a while. You may feel a bit dizzy or a bit tired as you wake up. You'll be in a new room, so things may look a little different.
The nurse can give you extra medicine through the cannula if you need it.
As soon as the nurse is happy, your adult will be called in to be with you. You may even be allowed an ice block.
You may not be able to go home on the same day as your procedure. Sometimes it's important for you to stay in hospital to be looked after for a day or even a few days. You'll be cared for on the children's ward. Your adult will be able to stay with you overnight.
If you're going home on the same day as your procedure, you'll be moved to the postoperative area. You may also be given something to eat if you feel hungry.
Another nurse will be looking after you there until you're ready to go home.
We look forward to welcoming you to our hospital if you ever need to come here. Remember, you can ask any questions you want to, and we're here to look after you.
[Children speaking]
I remember getting in quite late and getting put to sleep. Then when I woke up, I realised that I had to get some cream on with a needle in my hand.
But what I realised was that the needle was actually for a tube to get in, and that was actually for my operation.
At first, I was worried about having a tube go in my arm, but when I had some numbing cream on my arm I felt a bit better.
So there was no breakfast time for me because before my operation I wasn't allowed to have breakfast.
I couldn't eat anything before but after I could have an ice block.
When I was getting down to the theatre, I met some really nice people on the way that would help me get down to the theatre.
I liked getting rolled around the hospital on a chair that could go up and down with a remote.
Yes, I met the doctors, nurses, and I met some other nice people too
And they were telling jokes as I drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, it was a teeny bit sore, and then I pressed the buzzer, and the nurses came to give me some medicine.
Mum was there, and all the doctors and nurses cared for me and made me feel better. You could bring a toy or something to play with and keep you company, and maybe a book to read.
So then, I went to the playroom, which was quite nice because I met some new people. There were a lot of toys, and a lot of options.
You're allowed to feel scared, but it'll be okay. There's going to be lots of people to look after you and you are going to be fine.