Preparing for Your Child's Inpatient Stay at Shriners Children's
If your child is scheduled for an inpatient procedure that requires an overnight stay, we want them to be as comfortable as possible. We do our best at Shriners Children's to provide a warm and welcoming space for your family and your child to heal and feel supported. This often requires a team effort between parents, family members and our staff.
Inpatient visits require more planning than standard visits to our outpatient clinics, so we've provided some resources to help you and your child prepare for their stay at Shriners Children's.
Prior to your child's stay, you may want to prepare them by having a discussion about what is happening. If you need some guidance on how to have these conversations, please visit our preparing your child page for some tips.
What to Pack
We ask that you try to pack only the necessities for your child's inpatient visit. We have regular cleaning staff members to keep your child's room clean and sanitary. By keeping personal items to a minimum, you help our cleaning staff maintain a tidy and comfortable space for your child.
Some of the items that we suggest you pack in your child's overnight bag include:
- Pajamas/sweats
- Changes of comfortable clothes (based on length of stay)
- Toiletries (if you have preferred care products)
- A few comfort items including a toy or blanket
- Books or other small activities
- Any homework that your child needs to complete
- Electronic devices - a tablet, laptop or portable music player
- Chargers for your electronic devices
Do not bring any medications unless specified by your child's doctor, or electrical items including plug-in beauty products, humidifiers or air purifiers. There are also restricted items that are not permitted on hospital grounds. For a list of these items, please visit our Policies & Safety page.
Please leave valuables at home and label any personal items to avoid having them lost during your child's stay.
Arrival and Registration
When you arrive, your child's care manager will greet you and show you to their room. They will also give you a tour of the hospital to get you acclimated and answer any questions that you have.
Please bring the following documents to your child's inpatient appointment:
- Insurance card and information (if applicable)
- Contact information for your child's primary physician
- Proof of guardianship
- Your picture ID
- Your child's picture ID (if applicable)
Parents and Family Members
If you are a parent or guardian we encourage you to stay with your child for overnight visits to support and comfort them. Depending on the location and unit that your child is staying in, your proximity to them may vary for overnight stays.
To keep things calm in the hospital, we ask that your child is accompanied by no more than two adults for their overnight stay(s); one is preferred whenever possible. We also encourage parents to take breaks to avoid exhaustion. This may mean switching off or sharing responsibilities with one another, or a family member that your child is close to.
If you have additional family members who are traveling to visit your child during their stay, please contact your child's care manager at their hospital location to inquire about housing & logistical support through some of our partner organizations. We also encourage family members to visit your child via video chat or during regular visiting hours only (these vary by location).
We ask that all parents and family members take responsibility for themselves while staying at or visiting your child in the hospital. Please prepare for visits by reviewing the information in our Policy & Safety guide.
Support and Amenities
We know that caring for a child going through treatment can be exhausting, so most of our locations offer parents and family members places for breaks, meditation or rest. These amenities vary by location and will be shown to you during your tour with your care manager upon arrival for your child's inpatient visit.
Shriners Children's also provides any individualized support requests including religious and spirituality accommodations, or anything else that might provide you and your child comfort during your stay. We work with local community organizations and members to support these accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis.
