Medical Monitoring Devices

Sometimes your child may have a monitor placed in their room when they are staying on an inpatient floor or another area. Monitors allow staff members to see and hear your child, as well as check on their body functions. We use these monitors to help us keep your child safe when we cannot easily see them from the nurse's station.  

How monitors help keep your child safe

When you and other caregivers are not with your child, staff members might use monitors to check on your child so that we can:

• Hear sounds that your child makes
• See that your child is safe
• Check on body functions such as their heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, or oxygen levels

We also check on your child in person as part of our normal routine. We do this whether or not your child has a monitor.

Types of monitoring devices

We may use several types of monitors to help keep your child safe and check on them:

• Audio monitor: This monitor is like a baby monitor you might use at home. It allows us to hear sounds. It does not record you, your child, or anyone else in the room.
• Video monitor: We might use this kind of monitor to help us keep your child safe if they are at risk for things like falling, are restless and may wander, or if they have confusion.
• Patient (vital signs) monitor: We use these monitors to check on your child’s vital signs, such as how fast their heart beats or how they breathe. These tools help us watch your child’s condition carefully.

How we protect your family’s privacy during monitoring

If we need to use monitoring for medical reasons, we will protect your child’s privacy by:

• Placing the video monitor and speaker where visitors and the public cannot see them
• Telling you if your child needs an audio and video monitor
• Telling your child if they are old enough to understand

Learn more