Checklist Before Leaving Hospital

A checklist for before leaving hospital

Work through this list with your child's nurse before leaving the hospital. Talk to the nurse or your child's doctor if there is anything you need more information about.

1. Do you have a copy of your child's treatment plan (protocol)?
2. Do you have medicine information sheets for your child?
3. If your child will be taking chemotherapy medicine at home, do you have information about chemotherapy safety at home?
4. Do you have information about the precautions to take if your child has had chemotherapy within the last 48 hours?
5. Do you have a going home pack?
6. Have you recorded the important contacts and phone numbers for your child with cancer?
7. Do you have information about the physical activities that your child should avoid and the ones that are safe?
8. Have you met the following people:
   • community nurse
   • day-stay nurse or link nurse
   • social worker
   • dietitian

Check your understanding before leaving hospital

Please talk with your child's nurse to make sure you understanding the following:

1. How to take your child's temperature.
2. The precautions to take and observations to make if neutrophils are low.
3. The signs and symptoms of an infection.
4. The precautions to take and observations to make if platelets are low.
5. Mouth care and where to get supplies for use.
6. When to give your child co-trimoxazole.
7. How frequently to flush and how frequently to dress the central venous catheter.
8. What to do if your child comes in contact with someone who has chickenpox, shingles or measles.
9. The need to discuss immunisation with your doctor, so that a safe plan can be developed.
10. How to help avoid constipation and how to manage it if it does happen.
11. Do you know when next to go to hospital?
12. Have you been shown where to find the outpatient clinic or day stay area?
13. If you are a family living outside Auckland or Christchurch, do you have the phone number for your local hospital and the name and phone number of the healthcare team continuing your child's care?
14. Have you met the Child Cancer Foundation (CCF) family support coordinator?
15. If your child is 12 years or older, have you met the AYA (adolescent and young adult) key worker?
16. Is there any other information you need?

Make sure to ask your doctor or nurse any other questions you have.

Read more about going home from hospital

Read more about childhood cancer