Believe me most of them (staff on children's wards) don't try very hard, at least not when a child's parent isn't there, and of course when they are there the staff don't need to.
I find it actually disgraceful how many babies and young children are left to cry their eyes out, and this is through personally being by my own children's sides over 30 years ago - one of my children had an illness that meant they had to frequently have stays in hospital when they were very young - and later, when I was a mature nurse (I took up nursing after all my children had started school) and worked on children's wards. Of course some of us cared passionately about our poor little charges, but we were far outnumbered by those to whom it seemed to be only a job.
When I first experienced the screaming babies @Tomblibooz when I was just a mum like you, staying with my child, I felt just as upset and helpless as you do (and yes I offered as well to go into the screaming babies, but was turned down because of the risk of cross infection, which was of course a possibility. I was all set to let the mum's know when they came back, just what happened when they weren't there. But I didn't say anything to them, and I still sometimes get bouts of guilt over that. I decided in the end to not say anything, because I thought what if the mother had no choice but to leave her little one, she might have other children at home that she had to get back to - I was lucky, I had my children's Dad, and my mum, to keep things at home ticking over, but I knew that an awful lot of mothers didn't have anyone they could depend on - so I was really torn about what to do. But now I wish I had told them, it wasn't my decision to make, and maybe the mum's could have sorted something out?
@negomi90 Not only did I have to take issue with you telling the OP "... believe me people try very hard." to console the babies, as you can only possibly know that that was what happened in the ward you were on, but also those are almost exactly the same words that the nurses would use to any mum - or dad - that came in to find their baby crying, and I had been there the whole time, so I knew it wasn't true!
Also negomi, babies need consoling arms and words no matter what reason they may have for feeling so upset. I presume that you are not a mother if you don't understand that fundamental fact. Even if all you are allowed to do is sit by their cot and touch them through protective sleeves through the side of the cot, a gentle but firm touch, and reassuring and loving words, will effect the baby positively, even if you can't pick up those signs. As far as I am concerned, both personally and professionally, that baby in the ward where the OP is, is almost certainly being neglected.
My very first sentence to you in my post here negomi, was almost as ridiculous as your whole post. I said it deliberately in the hope of making you think that, she (me, TheLadyofShalott) cannot possibly make a sweeping statement like that, about all or most of the staff on all children's wards, with the hope that it would make you realise that you can't either...
Unfortunately, I very much believe that what the poor OP, the poor baby, and what that other poor child who wanted to help were feeling, was entirely right. That baby should have never been left crying for so long, it just isn't justifiable.