Even if it’s the child’s responsibility, parents still need to find out what’s going on. Parents still need to be responsible for getting the equipment, because that’s sometimes an issue – “Oh, well, I ran out of the equipment!” Well, nobody knew! The kid didn’t know that he was supposed to tell his mom, who then needed to call the supply company. “How long have you been out of catheters?” “Oh, two months.” And that does happen, even though you try and think you have everything in place.

Diane Manning, RN, Department of Urology

I think they have to be in a partnership. In the beginning the parents might have to monitor things to make sure the compliance is happening, and then they just need lots of reassurance about infections. Knowledge is power: the area’s going to be colonized, but it doesn’t mean that there’s infection. Let’s talk about what the signs and symptoms of a true infection are.

Rebecca Sherlock, PNP, Clinical Coordinator, Myelodysplasia Program