Who You Meet

People who work in our hospital and the uniforms they wear.

There are around 2500 staff working in this hospital to help you get better. Here is a list of staff that you may see on your visit to us and the uniforms that they wear. Some staff, like doctors, do not wear uniforms however all staff have a hospital identification (ID). If someone comes up to you or your child ask them to show you their hospital ID. If they do not have one please contact a member of staff.

Catering Staff / Household Staff

There are over 1,300 patients that need to get their meals served to them everyday. There are a lot of people who work to make sure that you get all your meals on time The catering staff  prepare the food and the household staff bring breakfast, dinner and tea  to you each day. There are also around 2500 staff in the hospital and they look after them too.

Chaplain
Chaplains are here to provide spiritual and non spiritual support. You can get a chaplain of your own religion when in hospital.

Cleaning Staff

These are the people who keep the rooms and building clean and bright. It is very important that a hospital is kept clean so your stay will be more pleasant. When most people are gone home they work late into the evening to get the place clean and tidy for all the patients and visitors.

Clerical Staff
There are clerical staff in many departments within the hospital, very often these will be the first people you will come in contact with when you arrive. Our clerical staff do not wear a uniform.

Dietitians
Dietitians are experts on eating, drinking and feeding. They may visit to make sure that your eating and drinking is normal,sometimes you may need a special diet. They may order special foods for you, or they might give you special milkshakes and drinks if you need a boost of energy. The dietitians in this hospital do not wear a uniform.

Doctors

There are lots of types of doctors in our hospital. Those that look after children have been given special training. During your visit you will see the consultant and his/her team. The team consists of a registrar, senior house officer and intern. They are all here to make you better.

Fundraising
We have a fundraising department that arrange fun events like the Odlums Pancake Party, Dublin 98 Radiothon, walks and runs. All the money raised goes to buy new equipment and toys for us. They work hard to make your visit to our hospital nicer and our job looking after you easier. They have there own section on the main children's webpage. Why not visit and see what they have planned for this year.
Click for link to Fundraising

Health Care Assistants

Health Care Assistants help the nurses with your care while you are with us.

Materials Management

Staff from materials management provide everything we need to look after you during your stay with us, they buy everything from crayons to beds for us. They then bring it to the wards for us and put it away in out presses.

Nurse	Clinical Nurse Manager
Student and Staff Nurse	Student Nurse Coordinator

There are lots of types of nurses who have been trained to look after you. You will always be told the name of the nurse who is looking after you. Our nursing team in a hospital consists of student nurses, staff nurses, student nurse coordinators and the clinical nurse manager who is in charge of the ward. 

Nurse Specialist

Nurse specialists are nurses with special skills and training in a certain area; you might meet them here during your visit. An example of one of these nurses is Annamma (photo above) who works in Dermatology (skin conditions) but there are 22 more nurses like her working in 16 specialised areas in our hospital. 

Photographer

Sometimes your doctor will ask for a picture to be taken to help in your care, this allows them to watch some illnesses more closely. We have a specially trained person who takes these pictures and he also comes to take "fun" photos for us too. 

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists will show you lots of types of exercises that you need to do to help you get better. It is not always hard work and can be fun! 

Hospital Play Specialists

Our Play Specialists are trained and skilled in helping children to play and have fun when they stay with us. Playing gives a routine to your day and lets you have fun during your stay. Play Specialists use child friendly language to talk about your stay and use role play to help you learn more about your treatments.  They also work with your parents to come up with great ways to distract you while having treatments and playing can make us all feel better.  Once your treatment is over, you can get back to playing and having fun with your new friends.

Psychologists
Coming to hospital is often a new experience for children.  A psychologist’s job is to talk with you and your parents about being in hospital, your illness and your treatment. Sometimes children feel a bit scared about it all. Our job is to find out what bits you may find scary and help you come up with ways of dealing with them.

Radiographers and Radiologists

Radiographers are the people who will take your x-ray. X-rays are special pictures of inside your body. The pictures help the doctor to make you better. Radiologists are doctors who have special training to look at these pictures when they are taken. Radiologists also do some special tests like ultrasound.

Teachers
We have our own primary school teacher who will help you with the school work and will ensure that you keep up to date with your school work while you are with us.

Theatre Staff

If you need an operation then you go to the theatre department for this. Here you will meet nurses, doctors and porters who wear different clothes to everyone else in the hospital. They are like Pyjamas and are called scrubs, you have probably seen people wearing them on TV. In our hospital they are green and dark blue in theatre. 

Technical Services
The hospital is a very big building and needs a lot of looking after to keep it in good condition. Staff from technical services ensure that everything works as it should. You will see them come and go on the ward as they fix things for the nurses.

Security

Our security staff are on duty 24 hours a day to keep patients, staff and people who visit safe. They are always walking around so you will see them during your visit to us.

Social Workers
Social workers talk and listen to our patients and their families. They help people who have something on their minds, to find answers. 

Speech and Language Therapists
You will see the Speech and Language therapist if you have any problems with talking, or if your chewing and swallowing are causing trouble.  The Speech and Language therapist will talk to you and do some fun activities with you to help with your words.  She will help your mouth and face get stronger, so that eating and drinking is easier for you. 

Students
We are a teaching hospital so sometimes student nurses and doctors, who are being taught about medicines, illnesses and caring for patients may come to see you. Meeting patients who are sick helps them become really good at their jobs and allows them to learn how to do the best job they can for patients like you in the future.

Volunteers
We are very lucky to have people who come into the hospital and give the Hospital their time for free. These very special people are called volunteers and they work in the Play and Art rooms. They also run the much loved Volunteer Coffee Shop at the main entrance to the hospital. Any profits from this shop are used to improve the services we offer to everyone.