No one wants to fall. It can be painful. And embarrassing if you fall in public. But when you’re weak and ill, like many hospital patients, falls can lead to serious health problems. In order to reduce the frequency of falls, hospitals and other health care facilities have fall prevention programs. But do these hospital […]
Archive | Hospital Issues
How to Sleep Better in the Hospital
I think I’m not alone when I say that I’m not fun to be around when I am sleep deprived. Not only am I grumpy, I don’t feel good. As we all know, sleep is important for our bodies and our minds. And it turns out that sleep is very important for physical healing. But […]
How Can Patients Protect Themselves from Hospital Infections?
No one wants to go to the hospital, and certainly no one wants to get sicker while they are there. However, since there are germs lurking throughout hospitals, there is actually a pretty good chance a patient could acquire a serious hospital infection. How common are hospital-acquired infections? Common enough that you should care. How […]
The Benefits of Participating in Hospital Rounds
I’ve been shouting this message from my rooftop for years* – patients who communicate effectively and actively engage in their care have better outcomes and a reduced risk of medical errors. However, for hospitalized patients, this can be tricky. Ideally, doctors would include patients and/or family members in their daily “rounds” conversations. But, not all hospitals […]
How Can Hospitals Reduce Medication Errors?
For hospitalized patients, medication is often an important part of treatment and/or recovery. It would be easy to assume that your nurse is giving you the right medication at the right time, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Medication errors in hospitals are common and can be dangerous. How can hospitals reduce medication […]
Dangers in Hospitals
We go to the hospital for care and recovery. Certainly no one wants to get sicker in the hospital, but it happens more often than most people realize. There are dangers in hospitals, and other healthcare facilities, that can cause serious harm, even death. Each year ECRI* compiles of a list of top health technology […]
Health Hazards in Hospitals
As a patient, it’s scary be in the hospital. It’s equally scary when your loved one is in the hospital. We all worry about health and recovery. Most of us don’t worry about the risk of getting sicker from health hazards in the hospital. But we should. It turns out there are dangers lurking in […]
Nurse Stress and Fatigue Can Impact Your Health
How well do you function when you’re exhausted and overwhelmed? There’s no need to answer that, because no one is at their best under those conditions. We’ve all had times in our lives when exhaustion made it hard to concentrate and function. However, if you’re an exhausted and/or stressed nurse responsible for patients’ lives, the […]
What Happens if You Don’t Get Your Test Results When You Leave the Hospital?
As a hospital patient, it is almost certain that your doctors will order tests to determine your diagnosis and/or treatment plans. Getting the results of these tests, and following through with care based on the findings, is critical for your health. But sometimes you don’t get these results before you are discharged. What happens if you don’t […]
Steps Hospital Patients Can Take to Resolve Problems
When you or a loved one are in the hospital, you are likely to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Physical symptoms, a lack of sleep, and uncertainty about the future are all hard to withstand. What can make all of this even harder to tolerate? Difficult relationships with your medical team, confusion regarding treatment options, financial […]