title: Use of single rooms on the children's ward, Part 2: Guideline for practice.
abstract: Most general children's wards have a limited number of single rooms available. This article presents evidence-based guidelines for practice developed in collaboration between several NHS trusts and a higher education institution, to ensure the effective and equitable use of this limited resource. The evidence underpinning the guideline was presented in part one, published in the December 2008 issue (Rose and Blythe 2008). The guideline covers the use of single rooms for control of infection, meeting psychosocial needs and in response to family preferences. It also provides guidance on action to be taken when no single room is available. This guideline provides a tool for staff to make clear to parents why their child was, or was not allocated a single room and the reason why if a child was moved out of a single room. It is also a resource for teaching students about the purposes and effects of isolation nursing on a children's ward.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of Chester.
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blythe
mesh_terms: D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011584:Psychology