Hospital admission – what to expect

Going to hospital for surgery or treatment can be stressful, but knowing what happens when you arrive and understanding your hospital’s admission procedure can help you settle in.

Before you arrive at hospital

The letter, email or text message of admission (also called an ‘admission notice’) that your hospital sends to confirm the date and time of your hospital stay will also outline any special instructions you need to follow before arriving at hospital. For example, you may not be allowed to eat or drink anything for many hours before your treatment.

For planned hospital admissions, you may have to attend a pre-admission assessment to make sure you are ready for treatment. This may be done over the phone or you may need to come in for an appointment at the hospital.

You may also be asked to fill in an admission form with your personal and funding details, such as your Medicare card number and private health insurance details (if you have cover), and send this to the hospital several days before your admission.

Types of hospital admission

Depending on the purpose of your hospital stay, there are different types of hospital admissions, including:

• emergency (unplanned)
• overnight or extended (planned)
• maternity (planned)
• day procedure.

Emergency admission

Telephone triple zero (000) for medical emergencies. Even if you are not sure it is an emergency, still phone 000 as they will tell you what to do. In a medical emergency, you will be transported to hospital by ambulance. If the situation is urgent but not immediately life-threatening, you can be driven to the emergency department by private car. Emergency staff will let you know if you need to be admitted to hospital for further treatment.

As this kind of admission is unplanned, it may take some time for a hospital bed to be ready. Sometimes, the emergency staff may need to transfer you to another hospital for your treatment. Until then, you will be cared for in the emergency department.

Overnight or extended admission

For an overnight stay, or extended admission, your admission letter, email or text message should let you know where you need to go on the day of your admission to hospital. Bring this letter -and your pre-admission health questionnaire (if you have been asked to complete one) and go to the place stated in your admission letter, email or text message. You may receive a call from the hospital on the day before your admission to confirm your hospital stay.

When you get to the hospital, check in at the reception desk and show them your admission notification and Medicare card. There may be more paperwork to complete and you may have to pay up front for any out-of-pocket expenses (if you are a private patient). You will be shown to your hospital room or a waiting area by a nurse, who will then conduct an admission interview.

Maternity department admission

For a maternity admission, your maternity department will send or give you a patient information pack detailing what to do when your labour begins. This usually involves contacting the maternity department to let them know that your labour has started.

When you arrive at the hospital, make your way to the reception desk (if it is a maternity hospital) or go directly to the maternity department (if it is a general hospital) and let them know you have arrived. A midwife will assess you and if your labour has progressed enough or if complications have arisen, you will be admitted and taken to a birthing suite.

Day procedure admission

For a day procedure admission, bring your admission notification and your pre-admission health questionnaire (if you have been asked to complete one) and go to the place stated in your admission letter, email or text message.

On arrival, check in at the reception desk, where you may need to fill in more paperwork and pay for your out-of-pocket expenses (if you are a private patient). You will then be shown to the pre-operative area by a member of the nursing team, where they will conduct an admission interview.

Admission interview

During your admission interview, you will talk with a nurse about your medical condition and your current health status. The nurse may conduct some basic tests, such as taking your temperature and blood pressure, and will ask questions about your health to make sure you are ready for surgery or treatment.

If you are having surgery, an anaesthetist, who is the doctor responsible for anaesthetising you for the duration of your surgery or procedure, may also ask you questions. Your surgeon may visit you too.

Asking for an interpreter

For people who prefer to use a language other than English and for people who have vision, hearing or speech impairments, being unable to communicate effectively in hospital can be a serious situation.

All Victorian public hospitals provide free access to interpreting services (this includes Auslan for people with a hearing impairment). Professional, accredited interpreters are impartial and deliver a confidential service. Interpreters are usually available to come to the hospital or to interpret via telephone. You can request an interpreter to be with you during your admission interview and at any stage of your hospital stay.

You can also ask if the hospital can provide translated information in a written format.

Disability assistance and other special needs

If you have vision impairment, ask if the hospital provides information, pre-admission questionnaires and other forms in electronic, large print or Braille format. You can also ask if they can provide extra, adjustable lighting in your room.

A hospital staff member will help you get used to your room so that you know where your personal belongings are and where the bathroom is, as well as any obstacles.

If you have a hearing impairment, you can request an Auslan interpreter for all communication with hospital staff, including during an admission interview and at any stage of your hospital stay. You can also ask your hospital for a communication kit for people with a hearing impairment.

If you are in a wheelchair or have trouble moving, the hospital will have wheelchair ramps, accessible parking spaces and wheelchair-accessible lifts, toilets and rooms. Ask your hospital if they have an accessible writing desk where you can fill in forms during the admissions process.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Hospital administration staff
• Ward clerk (hospital receptionist)

Admission to the Hospital | Encyclopedia.com

Definition

Hospital admission involves staying at a hospital for at least one night or more.

Purpose

Staying in the hospital overnight is done because the individual is too sick to stay at home, requires 24-hour nursing care, and/or is receiving medications and undergoing tests and/or surgery that can only be performed in the hospital setting.

Description

An individual may be admitted to the hospital for a positive experience, such as having a baby, or because they are undergoing an elective surgery or procedure, or because they are being admitted through the emergency department. Being admitted through the emergency department is the most stressful of these circumstances because the event is unexpected and may be a major life crisis.

Before the person is taken to their room, admitting procedures are performed. The person’s personal data is recorded and entered into the hospital’s computer system. This data may include:

• name
• address
• home and work telephone number
• date of birth
• place of employment
• occupation
• emergency contact information, or the names and telephone numbers of those individuals the hospital should contact if the person being admitted needs emergency care or their condition worsens significantly
• insurance coverage
• reason for hospitalization
• allergies to medications or foods
• religious preference, including whether or not one wishes a clergy member to visit

There may be several forms to fill out. One form may be a detailed medical and medication history. This history will include past hospitalizations and surgeries. Having this information readily available will make the process move faster, and can allow a family member or friend who is accompanying the person to help fill out the forms more easily. The hospital may ask if there are any advance directives. This refers to forms that have been filled out indicating what medical decisions one wants others to make on their behalf. One form is called a living will and clearly tells which specific resuscitation efforts the person does or does not want to have performed on them in order to save or extend their life. Another form may be a durable power to attorney. This is a form stating whom the patient wishes to make medical decisions for them if they themselves are unable to do so, such as if they are in a coma. Some hospitals have blank forms that the individual can use to make these designations, others may just ask if the forms have been filled out, and if so to add a copy of them into the person’s medical record. They are considered legally binding, and an attorney can assist in filling them out. During the time spent in admitting, a plastic bracelet will be placed on the person’s wrist with their name, age, date of birth, room number, and medical record number on it. A separate bracelet is added that lists allergies. Forms are completed and signed, so that the patient is giving full consent to have the hospital personnel take care of them while they are in the hospital during that particular hospital stay. Subsequent hospital stays require new consent forms.

Once all the admitting information has been completed, the next step is usually being taken to one’s room. Most people stay in a semi-private room, which means that there are two people to a room. In some circumstances, a person’s medical condition may require staying in a private room. If there are private rooms available, and the individual is willing to pay the extra cost (insurance companies generally only cover the cost of a semi-private room), it may be possible to have a private room. Most hospital rooms are set up so that one bed is closer to the door, and the other is next to a window. There are curtains that can be drawn completely around the bed so that some degree of privacy is possible. Once taken to a room, the nurse taking care of the patient will go over the medical and medication history, and orient the person to the room. This means that they will explain how to adjust bed height, how to use the nurse call button, show where the bathroom is located, and explain how to use the bedside telephone and television. The cost for the telephone and television are not usually covered by insurance. There is usually a calendar in the room, to help the patient keep track of the date, as it can be disorienting to be in an unfamiliar place, especially over several days or weeks. There may be limitations on using the bathroom, if the person’s doctor feels that the patient’s condition is such that they should not get out of bed. These kinds of decisions are made with the person’s safety and medical condition in mind. If the person is not thinking clearly, perhaps because of some medication they are receiving, the side rails of the bed may be put up, to prevent falling out of bed. The nurse will review the doctor’s orders, such as what tests have been scheduled, whether or not they can get out of bed for the bathroom or to walk around the unit, what medications they will be getting, and whether or not there are restrictions on what they can eat. The hospital will supply towels, sheets, and blankets, but some people like to bring something personal with them from home. Because of the risk of infections being transferred from one patient to another, one may prefer to leave things at home. If one does choose to bring in something personal, it should be washed with warm or hot water and soap to make sure that germs are not brought home from the hospital.

Sometimes when people are admitted to the hospital they need extremely close observation that can only be given in specialized care called an intensive care unit . Because of the severity of their condition, visiting hours are more restricted than in the regular rooms. It may be that only one or two people can visit at a time, and only for a few minutes at a time. Once the person’s condition improves, they may then be transferred to a room with a less rigid visitation policy. If an individual has a surgical procedure performed, they will spend a few hours in a recovery area. This is to make sure that the person’s condition is stable before returning to the regular room. Visiting is limited in the recovery area, and the person may spend most of the time sleeping, as the effects of the surgical anesthesia wear off.

If the person entering the hospital is a child, the parents or guardian will fill out the hospital forms. Most hospitals allow parents and guardians to stay overnight in the hospital with the child, and to be with them 24 hours a day. Many hospitals have special areas for children to play in, and even areas in which they do not have anything done to them which is painful, so they can completely relax.

Preparation

If the hospitalization is prearranged, there are preparations that will make the process go more smoothly. It is helpful to have a list of all medications currently being taken, the dosages, how often they are taken, and the reason for taking them. The list should also include any allergies to food and medications, including a description of the reaction, and when the food or medication was last taken. The list should include over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal and home remedies.

If the hospital stay involves surgery in which there is the potential for significant blood loss, it may be possible to arrange to have blood drawn and stored so that in the event of a transfusion , the individual receives his or her own blood.

If the hospital stay is an extended one, a list of family and friends, with their telephone numbers, can make it easier to stay in touch with people who can come and visit, or offer support by telephone. It is not a good idea to bring anything of value to the hospital as there are many times when one could be out of the room. However, it may be helpful to have some pocket change available if one needs to make some small purchases at the hospital gift shop, such as a newspaper. If one is going to visit someone in the hospital, change or one dollar bills to use at vending machines may come in handy.

A small bag can be brought into the hospital that contains:

• night clothes (The hospital supplies their own, but some people like to wear familiar clothing; some people use the hospital outfits to decrease the chance of staining their own clothing or bringing germs home from the hospital.)
• a robe
• slippers
• clothes for the return trip home
• reading material for the hospital stay
• hobby materials such as knitting or a book of crossword puzzles
• reading glasses
• personal care items such as comb, brush, and toothbrush (most hospitals supply these items, but many individuals prefer to have their own from home)

It is best not to bring in any medication from home unless it has been prearranged with the physician and hospital staff prior to hospitalization. This is to prevent an error from occurring by having the person taking one dose from their own medicine and then being given another dose from the hospital pharmacy.

Resources

books

Perry, Anne Griffin. Clinical Nursing Skills and Techniques. Mosby, 1998.

organizations

American Hospital Association. One North Franklin, Chicago, IL 60606. (312) 422-3000. <http://www.aha.org>.

Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media. <http://kidshealth.org>.

Esther Csapo Rastegari, R.N., B.S.N., Ed.M.

Hospitalization | it’s… What is Hospitalization?

I
Hospitalization

placement in a hospital of a medical and preventive institution of persons in need of examination, treatment or obstetric care.

Distinguish between emergency hospitalization, when a patient, for medical reasons, needs urgent medical care in a hospital, and planned. In the USSR, there are centralized and decentralized systems of hospitalization. Under a centralized system, a single center (bureau) of hospitalization is created in the city, which keeps records of vacant places in hospitals and issues referrals (orders) for hospitalization. Under a decentralized system, hospitalization is carried out according to the territorial production principle – outpatient clinics are attached to the hospital. serving a particular territory or enterprise.

Referral to G is carried out, as a rule, by the medical staff of outpatient clinics or ambulance stations. The correct definition of indications for G., its timeliness, the accuracy of the diagnosis affect the entire treatment and diagnostic process and its outcome. When referring to G. from a polyclinic institution, a hospitalization coupon, a medical card of an outpatient patient or an extract from it are transferred to the hospital, and an accompanying sheet is sent to the staff of the ambulance stations. The accompanying medical documentation should indicate the results of recent studies, recommendations from specialist consultants, therapeutic measures taken, the duration of temporary disability, and the purpose of hospitalization. Correct preparation of the patient for planned G., timely carrying out of the necessary amount of research allow more rational use of the bed fund of hospitals, material and labor resources, to intensify the treatment and diagnostic process. The diagnostic centers created on the basis of large diversified hospitals, medical and research institutes are of great importance in preparing the patient for G..

An important role in the process of G. belongs to the admissions department of the hospital, where they clarify or establish a diagnosis, if necessary, provide emergency medical care and decide on the validity of G. The patient is admitted to the hospital by the doctor on duty of the admissions department or hospital, who is obliged to ensure timely examination of the patient, read with medical documentation and if there are indications, hospitalize him in the appropriate department of the hospital. In case of admission of a child under the age of 1 year in serious condition or if it is necessary to breastfeed, it is possible to hospitalize the mother with him. In case of refusal to accept a patient, the doctor on duty makes an entry in a special journal about the reasons for the refusal in G. and about the measures taken – medical care provided, referral to another institution, etc. Information about each hospitalized is entered in the patient admission log, the passport part of the medical card of the inpatient patient is filled out on it (Medical card of the inpatient patient) . If the patient is delivered to the hospital in an unconscious state, the passport part of the medical history is filled in according to relatives or accompanying persons. At the same time, the on-duty medical staff of the admission department must carefully compare the available data with those documents that are with the patient. In the absence of documents and the impossibility of obtaining the necessary information, the admission of the patient is recorded in a special journal with a description of his external signs, and information about him is reported to the police. Constant attention should be paid to the prevention of infection in the hospital, especially with G. children. Upon admission to the hospital of an infectious patient within 12 h an emergency notification about it is sent to the SES while simultaneously reporting by phone (see Anti-epidemic measures) . Things of patients, clothes of medical staff, premises of the emergency department in this case are subject to disinfection. When a child is admitted unaccompanied by relatives, the patient is delivered by an ambulance team not from home, if the patient is in a life-threatening condition, when transferring to another medical institution, relatives must be immediately notified.

See also Hospital , Maternity Hospital .

Bibliography: Minyaev V.A. and Polyakov I.V. Health care of a large socialist city, p. 182, 267, M., 1979; Fundamentals of the organization of hospital care in the USSR, ed. A.G. Safonova and E.A. Loginova, M. , 1976.

II
Hospitalization

placement in a hospital (hospital, hospital, maternity hospital, etc.) of persons in need of medical care and treatment or in-depth medical examination.

Temporary hospitalization in military medicine — G. of an injured or sick person, whose evacuation is postponed until his condition improves or until the conditions preventing evacuation (combat, meteorological conditions, etc.) change.

Decentralized hospitalization — G., made in the direction of an outpatient institution to a hospital assigned to this institution.

Scheduled hospitalization — G., carried out at a predetermined date, determined by the doctor of the outpatient clinic, taking into account medical indications and usually agreed with the hospital.

Repeated hospitalization — G. due to an illness, for which the patient was previously (in the same calendar year) hospitalized in a medical institution.

Centralized hospitalization – city, carried out in agreement with an organization specially created in large cities that keeps records and distributes free hospital beds.

Emergency hospitalization — G. in case of urgent need, carried out directly by the admissions department of a hospital (without a referral) or in the direction of emergency and emergency medical care institutions.

1. Small medical encyclopedia. — M.: Medical Encyclopedia. 1991-96 2. First aid. – M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia. 1994 3. Encyclopedic dictionary of medical terms. — M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. – 1982-1984

Planned and emergency hospitalization – Semey Perinatal Center

Memo for patients requiring emergency medical attention. Planned hospitalization is carried out through the portal of the Bureau of Hospitalization within a few days, taking into account the patient’s choice of a medical organization.

Portal of the Bureau of Hospitalization – a unified system for electronic registration, accounting, processing and storage of referrals of patients for planned hospitalization to a hospital within the guaranteed volume of free medical care.

Emergency hospitalization is the referral of a patient for treatment in a hospital in the presence of an acute emergency condition, which is determined by the emergency doctor, district doctor or emergency room doctor. Emergency hospitalization is carried out by transporting the patient to the specialized hospital as soon as possible.

For emergency hospitalization :

In the event of sudden acute conditions and diseases that threaten the life or health of others, accidents, poisoning, injuries, childbirth and emergency conditions during pregnancy, the patient is hospitalized on an emergency basis.

Step 1 – call an ambulance doctor, call a local doctor at home, visit him at the clinic at the place of attachment or go directly to the emergency room of the hospital;

2nd step – a doctor (ambulance, polyclinic) determines the presence of indications for emergency hospitalization and issues a referral to a hospital of the appropriate profile;

3 step – transportation with referral to emergency hospitalization is carried out by ambulance, air ambulance or individual transport;

Step 4 – in case of emergency hospitalization, medical care is provided by inpatient medical organizations in the manner prescribed by the authorized territorial health authority.

For planned hospitalization:

Step 1 – see a doctor at the place of attachment;

2 step – pass the (required) minimum examination in a polyclinic;

Step 3 – when the doctor determines the indications for planned hospitalization, you should discuss with the doctor the choice of a medical organization, taking into account the availability of beds;

4th step – the doctor enters your data into the portal of the Bureau of Hospitalization and issues a “Ticket for planned hospitalization”, where there is a code that you can use on the website www.bg.eisz.kz to track your own queue for planned hospitalization, and also view information about the availability of free beds in the hospital. The data is strictly confidential.

Step 5 – the hospital, within 2 days from the date of registration of the application in the Portal, determines the preliminary date of planned hospitalization;

Step 6 – after the hospital determines the date of hospitalization, the doctor issues you a Referral for planned hospitalization.