THE children's ward is, like members of staff say, different to all the other wards.

There is a positive family orientated atmosphere that can only be good for their young charges.

Children's ward manager and senior sister Mary Wall has spent most of her life working with children, six years of which have been at the Great Western Hospital.

She says the main difference between adults and children is that a child can deteriorate much quicker.

"Everything that happens to them is very quick - one minute they are well and then they become very unwell so we have all sorts of acute children's nursing."

The ward is a mixture of cases from children who are clearly seriously ill to hurt fingers, but every case is different.

They deal with a complete variety of cases including orthopaedics, oncology, complex needs, surgery and ear, nose and throat problems.

They will receive acute admissions via the GP, the Accident and Emergency department or in some complex cases straight in.

In some cases children have been in intensive care for some time and the parents may need to be taught how to look after them.

When I spoke to Mary about a child that had taken over an hour for staff to get a blood sample she said this was very common problem.

"Everything takes 10 times longer on a child because you are not only nursing the child you are nursing the parents as well - you have to plan how you are going to do it.

"Children, particularly under school age, will be frightened.

"There are a lot of children who are needle phobic so we need a lot of time."

This is where the play specialist Theresa Wyatt comes in.

She must talk to the children and prepare them for the procedure.

Theresa the play specialist has also got to ensure the areas where the children are being treated provide plenty of distractions.

There is even a sensory room with special lighting to take particularly sensitive cases.

Mary explained: "You go along with a lot of information and explain to them."

In the event of a tragedy, the hospital is equipped to help staff cope and staff also try to support each other.

"It's never easy, but it is part of your training," said Mary.

"You learn to adapt and get on with it."

Parents are also encouraged to stay with their children too.

Marie McVicker, 25, of New College Estate, Park North, is the mother of one-year-old Oliver Samways who was brought into the hospital because he was fitting.

Her son suffers with serious diabetes and spent his early life in a neo-natal unit Bristol South Mead hospital.

Marie had nothing but praise for the staff.

"They're all fantastic, brilliant with him," she said.

"They know his condition and I feel very confident with them."