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Placement
Area
Paediatric Theatres 0161 7015548
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Introduction to
Placement
area
The RMCH site has nine operating theatres and a Minor Procedures
Unit (MPU), there are also four shelled theatres giving us the
potential to open to a maximum of thirteen theatres.
The department undertakes both minor and major procedures in the
following specialities:
 ENT
 General surgery
 Genitourinary
 Spinal
 Dental
 Haematology
 Nephrology (including kidney transplants)
 Neurosurgery
 Orthopaedics
 Plastic surgery and Burns
 Oral surgery and max facial
 Endoscopy
 Urology
 Rheumatology
 Medical investigations (CT/Bronchoscopy)
There is a recovery area within the department which provides
immediate post-operative care for up to twenty-one patients.
Patients also undergo anaesthesia in X-Ray (cardiac
catheterisation, angiograms etc). Computer tomography (C.T.
scans), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the Oncology
Clinic – Ward 84 OPD
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Placement
Philosophy
Theatre Philosophy of Care
We understand each patient is an individual with differing
psychological, social and spiritual needs.
We recognise hospitalisation and surgical intervention is a
frightening experience for the child and their family.
Our aim is to minimise the negative effect of hospitalisation to
provide individual care by our team on arrival into theatre.
As providers of Holistic Family centred care we encourage parents
to visit theatre with their children prior to admission. Parental
presence pre-operatively in the anaesthetic room and recovery suite
post-operatively is welcomed.
All aspects of care in theatre come within the guidelines of the
Association of Perioperative Practice (formerly N.A.T.N) and our
study programmes covering all levels of theatre staff are
encouraged.
Students for all disciplines are welcomed into the department.
This statement of our philosophy, which accepts Action for Children
Standards (the NSF guidelines), United Nations Declaration of the
Rights of the Child and the Children’s Hospital Philosophy all
combine to provide a solid foundation of care within theatre.
We will continually re-evaluate this philosophy to meet the needs of
the child in today’s society.
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Staff Facilities
and Break
Allocation
There are student lockers available for you personal belongings but
you need to bring a padlock on your first day of placement.
You will be given theatre scrubs and appropriate theatre clogs to
wear for the duration of your placement.
There are 2 coffee rooms and tea and coffee are available.
Your break allocation is clearly printed on the off duty for each shift.
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Handover /
Shift Patterns
We work the following shifts:
08.00-18.00
12.00-21.30
21.00-08.30
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Specialities
We cover all surgical specialities except for cardiac surgery (see
above).
We are the Trauma Centre and the Burns Centre for the NW region
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Commonly
used terms /
Abbreviations
We try not to use too many abbreviations but your induction pack
will explain the most commonly used ones
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Learning and
teaching
opportunities
specific to
clinical area /
Spoke
Placements
While here you will experience the complete perioperative journey
children take through the department. You will be allocated time in
each of our 3 speciality areas: Anaesthetics, Scrub and Recovery.
You will be allocated to qualified member of staff throughout your
placement.
There are a wide variety of spoke placements available to all RMCH
students depending on the length of placement. These include:
Children’s Pain Team
St Marys Elective Theatre
Elective Day Case Unit MRI
Mortuary Visit
Safeguarding Team
Children’s Research Team
Ward 76 (Children’s Day Case)
PICU
NICU
MREH Children’s Outpatients
Play Specialists (Ward 76)
Hathersage Sexual Health Clinic
Decontamination Services Department (DSD)
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Teaching /
Competency
Packs
We have an induction pack you will be given on your first day in
placement and there are a number of workbooks also available for
students to complete including:
 Drug Calculations
 Theatre Roles, Responsibilities and Policies
 Perioperative Practice
 Recovery Practices