An expert team of health care professionals and specialists will focus on all parts of care based on your child’s individual needs. The rehabilitation team also will provide you education and training on how to support your child.

 

Our team brings compassion as well as expertise. One of our team members is the first and remains the only pediatric nurse practitioner in the St. Louis area with a Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (WOCN) certification, which is the gold standard in wound care. This advanced nurse practitioner has specialized training in the treatment and healing of wounds, including burn wounds.

 

As caregiver, you are also an important part of your child’s rehabilitation team. You will be encouraged to participate throughout the rehabilitation process. Your involvement will help with your child’s emotional coping and to ease the transition home.

Care Coordinator: Care coordinators assess and monitor patient needs in preparation to go home. This includes coordinating family education, equipment and supply needs, follow-up care and insurance coverage of services.

 

Child Life Specialist: Child life specialists bring expertise in child development and help children and families overcome challenging events related to the child’s injury and hospitalization. They help your child better cope through play, prepare children and provide diversion for medical procedures, and provide education about an illness or injury to minimize stress and anxiety.

 

Dietitian: Dietitians specialize in assessing your child’s diet and food preferences and develop a diet plan to provide adequate amounts of calories, fluids and nutrition for optimum burn healing.

 

Education Liaison: Education liaisons are the link between our medical team, the family and the school to help your child continue education while in the hospital when possible and make it easier for your child to go back to school.

 

Music Therapist: Music therapists use techniques to stimulate brain function that controls movement, cognition, speech, emotions and the senses. Music therapy may include creating, singing, moving to music and/or listening to music to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of your child.

 

Nurse: Nurses are responsible for your child’s care at the bedside and beyond the bedside. They give medication, plan your child’s daily activities, and communicate with the doctor and health care team about your child.

 

Nurse Assistant: Nurse assistants help the nurses care for your child. They may be called a “tech” (Patient Care Technician) or CNA (certified nursing assistant) and can help clean and bathe your child, assist with bathroom use, and take blood pressure and temperature.

 

Nurse Practitioner: Nurse practitioners have completed advanced nursing education and are trained in diagnosing, treating, evaluating, and managing illnesses. Nurse practitioners work closely with doctors and other nurses to care for your child.

 

Occupational Therapist (OT): Occupational therapists help children live more independently with their illness, injury or disability. Therapy sessions with the OT may include scar massage, splinting, stretches and exercises to improve range of motion after a burn injury. The OT will also work with your child to improve the ability to dress, bath, and eat as well as other self-care skills.

 

Pharmacist: Pharmacists are medication experts who help your child get the best results from medications. Pharmacists prepare prescriptions, ensure medicines and doses are correct, prevent harmful drug interactions, and ensure medications are being used safely and appropriately.

 

Physiatrist: Physiatrists are doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation for the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, and ligaments. They manage your child’s plan for physical, occupational and speech therapy to improve function.

 

Physician: Physicians are doctors who provide the overall care in diagnosing, treating, evaluating, and managing your child’s health.

 

Physical Therapist (PT): Physical therapists assess and treat children who have physical impairments and limitations. After a burn injury, therapy sessions with the PT may include scar massage, splinting, stretches and exercises to improve range of motion. The PT may also work on improving your child’s strength and endurance for better movement ability.

 

Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists are doctors who focus on mental health. They may prescribe medication to treat psychological and behavioral disorders in children as they go through treatment.

 

Psychologist: Psychologists are mental health professionals with specialized training in diagnosing and treating psychological, behavioral and emotional disorders. They help children and families cope with traumatic events and the stress of being in the hospital and having burn injuries.

 

Recreational Therapist: Recreation therapists promote wellness and physical and emotional functioning through recreational activities. They provide specialized programming and activities for children to help them adapt to a “new normal” after an injury or illness and prepare them to go home.

 

Respiratory Therapist: Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat various breathing disorders and closely manage patients on ventilators and artificial airway devices. Our medical equipment is mobile so respiratory therapists can provide care and treatment anywhere—including outside, in a common dining room, or on the playground.

 

Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA): A restorative nurse assistant helps patients with established therapy activities like walking, stretching and exercise as directed by therapists.

 

Social Worker: Social workers serve as your advocate to help navigate hospitalization, financial needs and transitioning home. Social workers connect families to resources both inside and outside the hospital.

 

Speech Therapist (ST): Speech therapists specialize in treating oral motor, feeding, and swallowing functions. STs will be involved in the care of your child if the burn injury is impacting your child’s ability to talk, communicate, or eat. STs may provide stretching and exercises for skin surrounding oral motor muscles to improve your child’s ability to eat by mouth.

 

Spiritual Care Team: The spiritual care team is compassionate and respectful of the diversity of the children and families we serve. The team’s role is to help children, families and staff find solace, comfort and hope during challenging circumstances.

 

Therapy Technician: Therapy technicians help physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists with patient care.

 

Wound Nurse: A wound nurse has specialized training in the treatment and healing of wounds, including burn wounds.