Hasbro Children's Hospital
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Hasbro Children's Hospital

Patient Safety Tips

Parents with three boys
Hasbro Children’s Hospital makes safety a priority. The family is the most important part of the patient’s care giving team. We ask parents to be an active member of the team by reading these tips and getting involved with their child’s care.
  • ​​​​​​​Advocate for your child by asking questions about their plan of care. If you don’t understand something, speak up! We want you to learn about your child’s condition and how we are treating it.

  • Let us know if you have a safety concern. Family members can be the first to notice a problem because they stay at the bedside with the patient. We consider the family to be an expert on the patient.

  • Wash your hands before you enter your child’s room and before you leave the room. We call it “foaming in” and “foaming out.” Hand sanitizers are located inside and outside of each room.

  • Ensure staff “foam in” and “foam out” too. Although hand washing is a priority, staff members sometimes forget. Don’t be afraid to say, “Could you wash your hands before you care for my child? I think you may have forgotten." Help us prevent the spread of germs.

  • Be prepared to have staff ask your child’s name and date of birth before medications, treatments and tests are given. It is important that the patient is correctly identified.

  • Know what medications your child is taking. Ask what medications are being given, why the patient is getting the medication, and how often it is to be given. If a medication doesn’t look familiar to you, please ask. You could say, “I’m sorry but that doesn’t look like the medicine my child took this morning. Could you please double check it?”

  • Get ready for discharge. When your child is ready to leave the hospital, make sure you know when the doctor wants to see him/her for a follow up appointment. Know what medications and treatments your child will need at home, why they are getting them, and how often they are needed. You should also ask the physician what symptoms you should be concerned about at home and what number to call if you have questions.

  • Let us know if you notice tape on an IV getting loose or if a dressing is wet. Family at the bedside will notice this first. Be our eyes and ears and tell us if there is a problem so that we can keep your child safe and dry.