Make Your Stay Safe

Here's how you can help prevent medical errors during your hospital stay

Be Involved in Your Health Care

The single most important way you can help to prevent medical errors is to be an active member of your health care team. Be sure to speak with your health care provider if you have questions or concerns, and take part in decisions about your health care. Spanish and closed captioned versions of the video are available upon request; please ask your nurse if you would like to see one.

Medicines

• Please be sure to review the patient safety manual.
  
• Make sure that all your doctors know all the medications you are taking, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs.
  
• Make sure your doctor knows about any allergies and adverse or unusual reactions you have had to medicines.
  
• Consider wearing a medication alert bracelet, necklace or tag to display your allergies.
  
• Ask for information about your medicines in terms you can understand – especially before you receive your medicines.

Infection Control

For the protection of both our patients and staff, you will notice our staff wearing gloves or other protective attire (gowns, goggles or masks) to avoid possible contact with blood and other body fluids. These precautions are carried out routinely with all of our patients.

Hand Washing

If you are in the hospital, consider asking all health care workers who have direct contact with you whether they have washed their hands. Hand washing is an important way to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals.

• Hand washing keeps you from transferring germs to other areas of your body and to other patients and family members.
  
• If infectious material gets on your hands, the sooner you wash it off, the less chance you have of becoming infected.
  
• Hand washing is a professional responsibility of all health care workers.
  
• Alcohol-based waterless hand sanitizer is good to use when your hands, or your health care provider's hands, are not visibly soiled.

Treatment Plan

When you are being discharged from the hospital, ask your doctor to explain the treatment plan you will use at home. This includes learning about your medicines and finding out when you can get back to your regular activities. If the instructions are not clear, be sure to ask the doctor to repeat them. Having a family member or friend present may help reinforce what instructions were given once you return home.

Surgical Site

If you are having surgery, make sure that you and your surgeon agree and are clear on exactly what will be done. The nurse will ask you what type of surgery you will be having done. The nurse will write "yes" with a marker on the site of your surgery, especially when surgery involves either an arm or leg, etc.

Preventing Falls

• Always follow your doctor's orders and your nurses' instructions about getting out of bed or if you require assistance to go to the bathroom.
  
• When you need assistance, use your call light or bell by your bed or in the bathroom, and wait for the nurse/assistant to arrive to help you.
  
• Ask the nurse for help if you feel dizzy or weak getting out of bed. Remember you are more likely to faint or feel dizzy after sitting or lying for a long time. If you must get up without waiting for help, sit in bed awhile before standing. Then rise carefully and slowly begin to walk.
  
• Wear non-skid slipper socks whenever you walk in the hospital. If you do not have slipper socks, ask your nurse for a pair.
  
• Remain lying or seated while waiting for assistance. Please be patient. Someone will answer your call bell as promptly as possible.
  
• Do not tamper with side rails that may be in use. Side rails are reminders to stay in bed and are designed to ensure your safety.
  
• Walk slowly and carefully when out of bed. Do not lean or support yourself on rolling objects such as IV poles or your bedside table.
  
• Do not use furniture to assist yourself.

This page last updated 12/11/08 05:04 PM