Paediatrics
Children’s Services within CUH, is predominantly responsible for the care of patients from our local community and the Eastern Region. Our work is wide ranging and we are well respected both locally and as a regional specialist treatment centre for conditions such as neurosurgery, plastic surgery, oncology and haematology, gastroenterology and trauma.
Our ethos of child centred care and multi-professional collaboration drives our service, alongside a commitment to family focused teamwork. We believe in supporting our patients, their families and our staff in order to make their hospital stay as smooth as possible.
Clinical areas within Children’s Services:
- D2 – General paediatric ward, comprising of both elective and emergency admissions for children aged 0-16. Specialities include neurosurgical, orthopaedic, mental health and plastic surgery.
- C3 – Medical and surgical ward for children aged 0-3 years. Specialities include gastroenterology.
- C2 and Day Unit – Inpatient and outpatient regional facility for Paediatric Oncology and Haematology patients aged 0-16. General medical patients are also admitted to C2.
- PICU is a regional retrieval unit that covers all paediatric specialities requiring intensive or high dependency care from 0-16 years.
- Charles Wolfson Ward – Babies under the age of 1 year with general medical and surgical requirements. This unit enhances the patient pathways between NICU/SCBU and the children’s wards.
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – Our NICU is a regional level 3 unit.
- F3: Paediatric elective and emergency admissions, with either medical or surgical conditions. Both day cases and overnight stays are accommodated. It also undertakes rapid referral and pre admission clinics and is the theatre admissions unit for the Paediatric Service.
- Clinic 6: Outpatient department for all children aged 0-16 years.
- Paediatric Emergency Medicine
Newly Qualified?
We understand that the time following registration as a newly qualified nurse can be challenging. Our inter-professional Preceptorship programme provides support and guidance to assist you safely through this transition. Find out more:
Pioneering children's hospital for east of England
Up to £100 million of public capital has been made available for a completely new facility that is purpose-built to meet the needs of the region’s youngest patients. It will integrate mental and physical health and provide the highest quality services with ground breaking science and research. Find out more:Current Vacancies
We value our staff highly and you will be supported by a well developed practice development team. This includes Clinical Practice Facilitators, Research Nurses, Nurse Specialists and other members of the Multi- Disciplinary Team. We actively encourage our staff to develop and offer numerous opportunities to extend your skills and experience – we believe it’s best for the care of our patients and you. If you want to make a difference to patient care, why not join #Team CUHHi, my name is Sarah and I started at Addenbrooke’s as a newly qualified nurse in October 2014.
At this time I was lucky enough to obtain a place on the rotation programme. I started my journey in the Paediatric Emergency department, moved to ward F3 after 6 months, then after another 6 months went to Paediatric Recovery. The rotation was a really wonderful opportunity for me, I was able to gain lots of experience in a variety of areas and form lasting professional relationships with different members of the multidisciplinary team.
At the end of my rotation I was able to apply for the area I wished to return to permanently. In 2016 I therefore returned to the Paediatric Emergency department and continued to develop my nursing skills. I additionally was able to develop ED specific skills including; cannulation, xray ordering, PGD medication administration, wound care, plaster casts and the care of the sick child in the resuscitation room.
I loved working in the Emergency Department, but in May 2018 I felt I was ready for a new challenge. I applied for the position of junior sister on ward F3, and was fortunate enough to be offered the role. There I was able to further develop my ward nursing skills especially; coordinating care for a number of patients, post-operative care and caring for patients and families for a longer period of time than in ED. I also trained to work in the pre-operative assessment clinic based on ward F3, getting patients ready for upcoming surgery. As a part of children’s services when I was on F3 I was often required to work on the other paediatric wards in order to ensure safe staffing levels.
As part of my role as a junior sister on F3 I was trained to be the bleep holder for paediatrics. This was an extremely valuable experience for me as it taught me a lot about bed management and staff allocation. Additionally while holding the bleep I was the designated nurse for professionals to contact with concerns and issues, this developed my skills in problem solving and taught me about accountability.
Finally in September 2018 I moved back to the Paediatric Emergency Department, as I was thrilled to be offered the position of junior sister. I have been working here ever since and feel I am an ED nurse at heart! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love my job, and would never choose to do anything else with my life.
As you can see I have been fortunate enough to work in a variety of places within Paediatrics at Addenbrooke’s hospital, in fact I have been lucky enough to work across three different divisions in my time here. Working at CUH has also given me the opportunity to undertake lots of further training, including; European Paediatric Advanced life support, the trauma study day, mentorship training and I obtained an award in leadership and team skills.
I chose nursing as a career because even at an early age I wanted to help people. Everyone I came into contact with said I would make a fabulous nurse and I never even imagined doing anything else!
I chose Paediatrics – primarily because I felt I was a better fit for me. I am a bit of a joker and find the banter and interaction with children rewarding and entertaining.
I love the unpredictability of children’s nursing. No day is ever the same. I am passionate about my job and feel very strongly about people nursing for the right reason. Parents and children are at some of the most vulnerable times in their lives when they come to a hospital. When a child is unwell and a parent hands their child over to you – It is a privilege and an honour to be given that responsibility, no one should take that for granted.
Showing vulnerability as a practitioner is no bad thing, the day nursing stops affecting me emotionally should be the day I stop doing it.
Paediatrics at CUH is undergoing a lot dynamic exciting changes over the next few years with the planned Children’s Hospital.
The camaraderie and team working ethos within paediatrics makes it an exceptionally supportive environment to work in. There are excellent development opportunities within the service.