Navigating Your Hospital Stay

A Guide Written By Expert Nurses
1. Auflage 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4835-9294-7
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 398 Seiten

This book provides important information about how patients and their loved ones can partner with their physicians, nurses and other caregivers to optimize their hospital experience. The book is designed to provide, in one single volume, an intricate roadmap to receiving high quality, safe and comprehensive person centered care. The book is written by advanced practice registered nurses at Cleveland Clinic who describe best practices for safety, communication and self-management upon discharge.

Leseproben

Being Admitted to the Hospital

Mary Beth Modic, Christina Canfield, Christian Burchill

Whether your admission was planned or unexpected, being admitted to the hospital is very unsettling. It may appear chaotic if the admission is unplanned. You may be admitted because of a sudden medical illness or traumatic injury. You may be transferred from another hospital or nursing home because you require a higher level of care. Your admission may be planned because of a scheduled surgery. However you are admitted, your condition will direct the intensity and pace of the interactions you have with the individuals who will be taking care of you.

How will I know if I need to be admitted to the hospital?

You may be admitted to the hospital if your medical condition becomes worse – you have difficulty breathing, unstable vital signs (such as a high or low blood pressure or pulse), pain that is unrelieved by over-the-counter or prescribed pain relievers, abnormal laboratory findings or change in level of consciousness.

Most of the time, the reason is known and your doctor has a clear idea of what is needed to resolve or minimize your condition. Occasionally, symptoms may be vague or unusual and 24-hour monitoring and diagnostic testing that cannot be performed as an outpatient are necessary to identify the diagnosis. Specific questions that you would want to ask your doctor about being admitted to the hospital include:

• “Why do I need to be admitted?”
• “What is my diagnosis?”
• “How long do you expect I will need to stay in the hospital?”
• “What tests or treatments will I need?”
• “What are the risks if I choose not to be admitted to the hospital?”
• “Are there other options to treating my condition without being admitted?”

Who will be caring for me?

Many hospitals have adopted the term “caregiver” to refer to all the individuals with whom you and your loved ones will interact. This term encompasses all of the healthcare professionals who will provide direct care to you as well as all of the ancillary and “behind the scenes” individuals who influence the quality and safety of your hospital experience. Caregiver will be the term used in this book when referring to any healthcare professional or ancillary personnel.

If there is a specific caregiver who is responsible for a certain aspect of your care – doctor, nurse, pharmacist, dietician, for example – those individuals will be referred to by their professional role. The term healthcare provider will be used to describe the person who is responsible for monitoring your overall health. It could be a doctor, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or physician assistant. This individual evaluates your response to the treatment plan.

What information will my caregivers need to know about me?

Your doctors and nurses will ask questions about your general health, current health problem, family history, past hospitalizations and surgeries, social history and current medications you are taking. You may begin to feel like everybody is asking you the same questions. In many cases, this is necessary to gain additional perspectives on how to best take care of you. It is important that you be as honest and accurate as possible as your treatment plan will be based on your answers. Be forthcoming about medication that you often forget to take or prescriptions that were never filled. This will prevent your doctor from making treatment decisions based on inaccurate information, such as ordering a higher dose of a medication, believing that your previously prescribed dose is not working.

You may experience many emotions while you are in the hospital. Worry, fear and anxiety are very common. You may also feel helpless, vulnerable or experience a loss of control as you depend on others to help you with bathing, eating or toileting needs. You may feel confused because of the number of people caring for you or as a result of conflicting information that is provided to you. You may feel anger if your care does not meet your needs or expectations. You may also feel a sense of panic, denial or hopelessness because of the shock of a devastating or unanticipated diagnosis. It is important to share these feelings with your doctors and nurses so that they can tailor their care to meet your individual needs and coping styles.

What should I bring to the hospital?

Because you may be hospitalized for an extended stay, you’re encouraged to bring whatever will help you feel comfortable. Some suggestions:

• Personal identification and emergency contact information
• All cards that contain insurance information
• A copy of your advance directives – “living will” and “durable power of attorney for healthcare”
• A current list of medications, including over the counter and herbal supplements
• Glasses, contacts and hearing aids
• Dentures and denture care products
• Cane, walker or any other device that helps or physically supports you as you walk. Be sure each item is labeled with your name and address.
• Cell phone and charger. Hospitals permit the use of cell phones in certain areas.
• Toiletries. Although the hospital usually provides these items, you may wish to bring your own personal toiletry products, including deodorant.
• Notepad and pen (helpful for remembering questions to ask your caregiving team). It might be helpful to bring a zip-top storage bag for business cards and other paperwork received during your stay. This way the information you collect can be stored in one location.
• Sweat pants, t-shirts, robe, slippers and pajamas. Loose, comfortable clothing if you expect your hospital stay to be lengthy. Loose clothing provides access for the medical equipment that might be needed for daily physical assessment.
• Your favorite music on your smartphone or tablet
• Family pictures or other reminders of home

What items should I leave at home?

Although it is helpful to have a list of the medications and dosages that you take at home, it is not necessary to bring your medications with you. Any medication you currently take at home will be provided by the hospital pharmacy during your stay. It is very useful to your caregivers if you write down the name and dosage of all of your medications and bring the list with you.

Please avoid bringing to the hospital the following items:

• Jewelry
• Credit cards, checks, large amounts of cash
• Firearms or weapons of any kind

If you want to bring your valuable electronic equipment, such as a laptop or tablet, check with the hospital to see if they have a safe available for use.

Refrain from wearing artificial nails or nail polish since these items can interfere with monitoring your oxygen levels.

How often can my family and friends visit me?

Having family and friends visit can be very comforting and reassuring. It is a good idea to think ahead about having your family and friends visit at different times while you are in the hospital so that you are not overwhelmed with company. You might want to ask others to call ahead to see if you feel up to a visit. It is important to remember that you are recovering from surgery or a severe illness and you need to rest and not feel obligated to entertain your visitors. Although visiting hours may be flexible, it’s recommended to limit the number of visitors at one time and to observe reasonable hours.

Visiting a sick parent can be traumatic for children if they are unprepared for the change in physical appearance, mood or energy level. It is important to discuss with other family members how best to prepare children for a visit. It is also wise to check with your bedside nurse as to when it would be best for your children to visit and how your nurse can orient your child to the equipment. It is very important that your child feel safe in your presence and not be worried about you, so it is best to have your child visit when your pain is under control and energy level may be somewhat normal.

All visitors should wash their hands before entering your room, and sick visitors should refrain from visiting. Usually patient bathrooms are only for patients. Public restrooms are available for visitor use and are usually equipped with diaper changing tables for babies. Check with your bedside nurse if you have questions about children or overnight visitors.

How will my family be updated?

We know that there are many people who are concerned about you. It is difficult for the caregiving team to speak to several members of your family about your progress at different times. For this reason, most hospitals request that the patient identify one spokesperson to whom information will be provided. In most situations, your spokesperson is the individual who holds your durable power of attorney for healthcare. Sometimes it is best to deliver information in a planned meeting of selected family and friends. This is called a family meeting and allows for questions and concerns to be discussed in a group setting. A family meeting usually involves the physician, nurse, social worker and a chaplain. If you or your loved ones believe that there are differing opinions between you, your...