Statement of patient rights

At Children’s Minnesota, we are dedicated to making your stay a comfortable and positive experience. We want to be sure you are aware of and understand your rights and responsibilities. If you have any questions about the information here, please talk with someone on your child’s health care team. If you or your family have any questions, concerns or wish to file a grievance, contact us.

Your rights

What you and your child can expect from Children’s:

• Children’s will provide an interpreter if you speak a language other than English.
• Children’s will provide safe care.
• Children’s will respect your cultural and spiritual values and your personal dignity.
• Children’s will work with you to meet any disability needs for your child or for you.
• Children’s will provide the names of physicians and other practitioners providing your care and treatment.
• You will be involved in making decisions about your child’s care, treatment and services. You can request a care conference.
• You can give written informed consent for treatment and can request or refuse treatment.
• Tests and treatment are based on identified patient health care needs.
• Children’s will provide privacy and confidentiality of information.
• You can appeal a denial of payment by your insurance company.
• Patients age 18 years or older can complete a health care directive.
• Children’s will provide effective pain management.
• You can contact protective services for children or vulnerable adults.
• You can file a complaint or grievance at Children’s or with a state or federal regulatory agency.
• You can communicate freely.

Your responsibilities

Children’s staff can expect the following from you and your child:

• You will tell us immediately if you think something doesn’t look right or if you have questions about what is happening.
• You will provide accurate and complete information about your child’s health and needs.
• You will ask questions when you do not understand information about your child’s care and what is expected of you.
• You will follow the recommended treatment plans you have agreed to.
• You will follow Children’s rules and regulations about patient care and conduct.
• You will show respect and consideration to other patients and families, staff, and property.
• You will meet the financial obligations you have agreed to.
• You will tell us if you feel your child is unsafe or in pain.

Pain management

We believe that infants and children have a right to the best level of pain relief that can be safely provided.

When your child is a patient here, you and your child can expect:

• Your reports of pain will be believed.
• Information about pain and pain relief measures.
• A concerned staff committed to pain prevention and management.
• Health professionals who respond quickly to reports of pain.
• Effective pain management. In the inpatient areas, that includes state-of-the art pain management and dedicated pain relief specialists.

We expect you and your child will:

• Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain management.
• Discuss pain relief options with your doctors and nurses.
• Work with your doctor and nurse to develop a pain management plan.
• Ask for pain relief when pain first begins.
• Help your doctor and nurse assess your pain.
• Tell your doctor or nurse if your pain is not relieved.
• Tell your doctor or nurse about any worries you have about taking pain medication.

Patient safety

When your child is a patient at Children’s, you and your child can expect that we will:

• Wash our hands before seeing your child.
• Check your child’s identification band and chart before giving any medicine or procedure.
• Explain thoroughly the care and medications your child will receive.
• Stop any procedure if you tell us it doesn’t look right.
• Listen to your thoughts, questions and concerns.
• Welcome your feedback — you are our partners in safe care for your child.

We expect you and your child will:

• Tell us immediately if you think something doesn’t look right.
• Ask questions about your child’s care and seek explanations of what is happening.
• Stay calm in order to help your child stay calm.
• Work with us thoughtfully to understand confusing situations.

Adult patients: health care directives and other information

Adult patients, age 18 or older, make decisions about their own care unless they have a legal guardian. As an adult, you have the right to request all the information about your care, decide who else should get that information, who you want involved in decisions and who should visit you. You have many other rights, which are described in an information sheet for adult patients available from your nurse or social worker.

Health care directives

As an adult, you also have the right to a health care directive — a legal paper that describes what health care you want if you can’t communicate with us. You also have the right to name someone to make choices for you if you can’t make choices for yourself because of your illness. If we cannot honor your advance directive, we will talk about this with you. A health care directive can include your decision to continue or stop any kind of treatment you may be getting, including medicine and breathing machines. You can write down what you want or don’t want and why you feel that way.

If you would like to do this, tell your nurse or doctor; they will call the social worker to help you. If you prefer, call social work directly: 612-813-6138 at Children’s – Minneapolis and Minnetonka, and 651-220-6479 at Children’s – St. Paul.

Respectful, violence-free environment

Children’s is committed to creating a violence-free environment. It is expected that all patients, families, visitors, employees and staff will be respectful towards one another. Examples of unacceptable behavior are shouting, hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, inappropriate touching, swearing, verbal threats and intimidation. You may be required to leave if behavior is unacceptable. Children’s bans guns on its premises.