For Families

Family-centered care

Parents are core members of our dedicated Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) care team. As a parent of a CVICU patient, you can be as involved in your child’s care as you want to be. Every family chooses the level of involvement that’s right for them. We invite you to:

  • Attend daily rounds in the CVICU.
  • Participate in the development of your child’s care plan.
  • Participate with the bedside nurse in selected care activities.
  • Provide feedback to help improve the CVICU for future patients and families.
  • Receive support from our Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program to promote an optimal healing environment in the CVICU. The team assesses your baby’s development and supports you in how to best interact with your child to enhance development, behavior, and learning. The program’s services are offered from birth through school-aged years.

Preparing for your stay

Many services are available to you and your family to help you prepare for your time at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Some of the key services include:

During your stay

Once you are at Packard Children’s Hospital in our CVICU, there are several supportive services available to you and your family. Please visit our Patients & Visitors and Patient and Family Service pages to learn more. In the CVICU, there are private patient rooms with space to sleep at your child’s bedside, private restrooms with a shower, and family lounges with kitchen and laundry facilities.

Tour the CVICU

We offer in-person tours of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) to future patients and families. Tours include a walk-through of the CVICU, parents lounge, and surgical waiting area. Our guides provide information about how the CVICU works, visiting guidelines, and an introduction to our staff. Spanish-speaking tour guides are available. Please call a Heart Center social worker at (650) 497-8303 before your next visit to the hospital to arrange a tour.