In many ways, a hospital room is much like your own bedroom. You have a bed, usually with a window and a TV. Most hospitals also have bathrooms within the rooms. Private rooms are sometimes available, but most patients will share a room with another patient. If you are going to have a roommate, the hospital should let you know beforehand.
Hospital rooms have to be functional for the medical staff, but they also need to be comfortable for patients and guests. The furniture should be cozy and inviting for visitors to sit or sleep. This will help reduce stress and anxiety, especially if family members are worried about the patient’s condition or the surgery.
The best feature of any hospital room is its safety. There should be enough space around the beds so that staff can reach patients easily to assist with care. In addition to having plenty of room, there should also be clear and accessible information for patients about their health status and treatment plan. This can be provided on a white communication board near the patient’s bed, or it can be on an electronic medical records system.
A sink in the patient’s room is important for keeping everyone clean and preventing infection. It should be easy for nurses and other staff to access, and it should be a constant reminder to all to wash their hands. It is also good to have the sink in a location where it will be convenient for all visitors, including those who are not visiting the patient.
If you are in the hospital for a while, you may want to keep a small amount of personal belongings with you, such as a book or a tablet. Some hospitals have lockers where you can lock up your belongings, but others don’t. You can ask your doctor if you are allowed to bring these items with you.
There is a lot of noise in the hospital, from the whirring of medical equipment to conversations and foot traffic. Using earbuds or headphones to listen to soothing music, ambient sounds or guided meditations can help mask this noise.
You should be able to order your meals with a hospital bedside tablet, which is a great way to make sure you get healthy food on time and that your meals are not overlooked. It will also give you more independence if you can use the tablet to order a cup of coffee or take medication as needed.
You should be able to ask for assistance with anything by using the nurse call button on your bed. Some patients feel anxious if they don’t use the button often enough, afraid that they might be neglected. Having nurses check on them at regular intervals will help to ease this fear and give patients confidence that they will be helped quickly. This is important because patients who wait too long for help can develop a negative attitude toward the hospital that will hinder their recovery.