Le Bonheur is home to one of the most advanced epilepsy centers in the country and delivers the highest level of care. As a Level IV Center, designated by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, this seven-bed unit provides a multi-disciplinary treatment approach utilizing the most current therapies and interventions available.

The Epilepsy Team is compromised of:

• Pediatric Epileptologists (specially-trained neurologists)
• Pediatric neurosurgeons
• Neuropsychologists 
• Nurse practitioners and nurses
• Epilepsy coordinator
• Neurophysiology technicians
• Dietitian 
• Social worker 
• Case manager
• Child life specialist
• Rehabilitation therapists 

This highly skilled team utilizes advanced diagnostic tools and provides treatments such as anti-epileptic drugs, vagus nerve stimulation, the ketogenic diet and epilepsy surgery. Advances are being made to decrease and in some cases eliminate seizure activity in patients. The world-renowned physicians and surgeons are excellent to work with and are nurse advocates, and the nurse to patient ratio on the floor is 1:3 or 4 patients. Safety measures are strictly enforced to protect children during seizures and parents are allowed to stay with their child at all times on the floor.

In the EMU, continuous EEG monitoring, as well as high density EEG monitoring, with video capabilities allows nurses to keep a close eye on patients. In the near future, the state-of-the-art neuro MEG will be installed at Le Bonheur, and will serve as one of the few sites in the United States to have this technology. The EMU is part of the Neuroscience Institute, which is a Center of Excellence for Le Bonheur. This area is rapidly growing and expanding, and offers many opportunities for new and seasoned nurses.