Double check on the residential aspect as evelina picu let parents stay at the bedside 247 except for the 2x30min handovers between staff, but obviously encourage them to get some rest to look after themselves too (similarly I've seen parents at the bedside in the middle of the night at Kings picu but as I've never been to gosh it must just be cramped at the bedside
You should have the equiv of Ronald Mcdonald house to stay in for families and local restaurants are lovely at donating food to families
For the first probably at least 6h post op they're kept in a deep coma and not aware of anything just so we are happy they don't have any complications then we slowly wake them. They'll stay a little while in picu then step down to a high dependency unit then cardiology ward, it's v protocolised
Def don't worry about them being ignored that will never happen the nurses do the job cos they love them to bits, the nurse to child ratio is never normally more than 2. You can decorate your cot, blankets and toys are encouraged. We would never let a baby cry alone, if their nurse is busy with the other patient one of us drs will come over immediately from the desk for cuddles, our evelina babies have bedside white noise/lullaby machines, we love coming over for cuddles and strokes, they most certainly won't be lonely. We often come over for cuddles in the night if we aren't busy and rapidly know exactly which babies cries are which from the other side of the room which I really didn't expect to happen!
Picu can be scary when you first go there due to all the wires and tubes etc but just talk to the nurses they're all lovely and will explain everything
From an anaesthetic perspective you'll be allowed in the anaesthetic room until they're asleep then the nurse will take you out to the main corridor- go get yourself a decent breakfast as a distraction as the surgery will be many hours
Best of luck try not to worry, I know it's a really scary time but anyone that works on picu loves and cares for the kids as their own x