Meeting a... Children’s Day Procedures Manager
Who are you: Sian Cross.
Summarise your role: I lead the team to ensure safe and effective care is delivered to children and their families who are attending the unit for elective surgeries and medical day procedures.
What do you find challenging about your role: Caring for children can be challenging in itself. You have to be imaginative with distraction techniques and the way you communicate. Explaining why a hungry two-year-old can’t eat before surgery or why they need to have a cannula inserted requires input from their parents/carers. You have to be mindful that this is possibly the first experience this child has had visiting hospital and try and make it as positive as possible. This includes allowing the parent or carer to freely express their worries or concerns and reassure them in what can be a very scary and worrying time for them.
What do you find rewarding: Working with children is the most rewarding part. In general they recover very quickly and most of the time take everything in their stride. They’re much more resilient than adults! With regards to the management side of the role, it’s great to be a part of a new team which has very successfully developed a new service within paediatrics.
What do you enjoy outside of work: Travelling to new places, visiting the Lake District in particular! Socialising with friends and family and exploring new restaurants!