Visitation Guidelines

Due to the limited space and the need for medical team to monitor and care for your child, please limit the number of people at your child's beside to 2 at a time.

We ask that all visitors sign in at the Family Support Assistant's desk before coming into the unit. The Family Support Assistant will call back to your child's room to make sure there are not two visitors already in the room.

Friends and relatives wishing to visit who do not have the code word must have received permission from the parents/legal guardians or social work.

PICU doctors' rounds will begin each day, around 8 a.m. and usually last 2 - 3 hours. If they do not speak with you during morning rounds, there will be other times during the day when they will be happy to give updates and answer your questions.

Family and visitors may be asked to step out of the unit during procedures or emergencies. The PICU team will notify you when these events arise and will make every effort to limit the amount of time that you are away from your child.

Due to infection control reasons, family and visitors may not eat in the unit. You may eat in the kitchen area of the PICU waiting room or in the cafeteria dining room. Non-alcoholic drinks with lids are allowed, but must be kept away from the patient's bedside and direct care areas (counter tops, bedside tables). Each bed space in the unit has an area for patient and family storage; we ask that drinks be limited to this area. Storage of food or drinks is not allowed in patient rooms. Food items may be stored in the lockers provided in the PICU waiting room.

All family and visitors must wash their hands before coming in our going out of the unit.

In order to protect your child's privacy, your nurse will ask you, upon admission, to choose a code word that you can easily remember. We will ask for this code word before giving you any information over the telephone.

Due to a limited amount of bed space, we are able to offer only two overnight arrangements to parents, legal guardians, or other chosen substitutes. Substitutes must be at least 18 years of age. One person may be allowed to stay in the parent bed space.

Patient information will be given only to those with the code word. All other family members/visitors will be asked to contact the parents about the patient's condition. The code word can also be given to selected individuals that you wish to visit your child when you are not present. The PICU main desk phone number is 501-364-1341.

When visiting the unit, please stay at your child's bedside. We cannot give out information about other patients.

Parents or primary caregivers may visit the unit 24 hours a day. The PICU waiting room is open daily to all visitors during the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The doors at the entrance of the PICU will lock at 9 pm. Parents/Guardians will receive an access code that will allow them to pass through these doors. All others, including extended family will be asked to leave the hospital.

During flu season, ACH may implement restricted visitor guidelines to help reduce the spread of illness.

Please inform your nurse about sibling or child visitors prior to your desire for a sibling to visit, so that Child Life can help prepare the child for the visit. Children under the age of 6 are not allowed to visit in the unit without a doctor's order. The order must be written in advance and a sibling visitation form completed prior to the visit. Children under 18 years of age may not stay overnight in any of the waiting rooms or patient rooms in the PICU.