What Is Pediatric Shift Nursing
Pediatric shift nursing helps your child come home.

If your child was born with or identified with a complex medical need or suffered an accident, you have been through a wringer of surprises, emotions and questions that may or may not have adequate answers. And preparing to leave the hospital with your child poses a whole new series of unknowns.

The one thing you can be sure of is that, as soon as your child’s need was identified, the hospital established a care team that has worked on a plan to get you all back home safely. Families can face physical, emotional and financial challenges, and your hospital team will involve not just doctors and nurses but everyone from behavioral specialists to nutritionists and social workers, depending on the varied and specific needs of your family.

Depending on the hospital, the person who will coordinate your child’s return home might be called a case manager, social worker, care coordinator or discharge planner. Whatever the title, this person will be in contact with you throughout your child’s hospitalization and can help you navigate how to pay for care at home and apply for Medicaid, which covers pediatric shift nursing care regardless of the parents’ income or assets.

One of the most helpful services you and your child will be able to rely upon in this transition to a new way of living is in-home shift nursing.

Home health agencies in Pennsylvania provide pediatric shift nursing to help children with complex medical needs live as independently as possible at home with their families. The key benefit of pediatric shift-nursing care is that you can bring your child and his or her care out of the hospital and into your home with your family, no matter what type of medical equipment he or she needs.

This type of care helps you and your family manage your child’s complex medical care. A registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN) can be in your home for several hours each day to care for your child’s daily needs, administer medications and make sure your child’s condition remains stable so he or she can stay at home and out of the hospital. Children with medical complexities depend on care from pediatric shift nurses to stay at home as they grow up. It will take time to adjust to your family’s new situation, and pediatric shift nurses are your partner in ensuring your child is at home safely with the family.