7 East: Touching lives one breath at a time
Excellent care for your hospitalized child is the number one priority of the 7 East health care team. Health care is provided within a family centered care framework where families are respected as the child’s primary care givers and essential participants in decisions that impact the healing of their child. Our goal is to incorporate the family’s unique knowledge about their child into the healing process. Adhering to a family centered care approach means that we consider it our responsibility to provide you, the family, the necessary information, so together, as one team we can make decisions and treatment plans that are most appropriate for each individual child and family. We respect and appreciate the diversity of each individual family unit, recognizing that the family is the child’s primary source of strength and support.
We hope that despite the stress associated with your child’s hospital admission that you take comfort and pride in joining our nationally recognized pulmonary team and Children’s Hospital (ranked 4th and 5th respectively in the nation by Parents magazine).
Patient Population
7 East is a 20-bed unit whose mission is to provide exemplary, safe, compassionate and family oriented care to all children, specifically to those with pulmonary disease, through the collaborative interactions of a multi-disciplinarian team of skilled individuals. Although we on 7 East care for children with a variety of health care needs, where we shine is in caring for children with lung disease no matter how common, rare or complex. We have nationally and internationally recognized experts and programs in the fields of asthma, cystic fibrosis, lung transplantation, sleep medicine and technology dependent children. Our pediatric nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory and physical therapists are all trained and knowledgeable in caring for the needs of children with respiratory diseases and their families.
7-East Team
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
- Child Life Specialist
- Pharmacists
- Social Worker
- Unit Secretary
- Patient Care Associates
- Manager
- Assistant Manager
- Registered Nurses
- Registered Dietician
- Physicians
- Respiratory Therapists
- Family Advisor
- Clinical Nurse Educator
7-East Leadership
Physicians, who are faculty members in the Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonary Medicine Division in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University, will assess your child daily. Since St. Louis Children’s Hospital is one of the leading teaching hospitals in the country, other doctors (called pediatric interns and residents), under the supervision of more experienced doctors (called attending physicians), are invaluable members of our team in providing care to each child on the unit.
The day-to-day operation of the unit is facilitated by the charge nurses. Charge nurses are registered nurses who demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, clinical expertise, a commitment to the pediatric patient population we serve and the ability to deliver quality patient care. Pediatric Nurse Practitioners assume responsibility for the care of a specific group of patients diagnosed with asthma through a collaborative practice agreement. The unit is staffed with registered nurses who have successfully completed both their general pediatric orientation as well as unit specific orientation. Patient care associates and a unit secretary provide additional levels of patient support services under the supervision of the charge nurse and the other registered nurses on the unit. The unit leadership team includes the nurse manager, the assistant nurse manager and physician leaders. Clinical leadership for the unit also includes Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and a clinical educator.