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Excerpt
The following is an excerpt from the book What You Don't Know Can Kill You 
by Laura Nathanson
Published by Collins; May 2007;$15.95US/$19.95CAN; 978-0-06-114582-7
Copyright © 2007 Laura Nathanson

Being a Good Citizen of the Hospital Ward

The more at home you are in the ward, the more safe and comfortable your patient will feel. To do so, become a good ward and citizen. Here are my suggestions for making yourself a tolerated feature on a busy hospital ward.

  • Try not to betray an attitude that implies stereotypes. Doctors, nurses, and staff members come in all sizes, ages, ethnicities, genders, and gender preferences. Don't assume that little blonde female is the head surgeon, and that tall distinguished gray-haired guy is the occupational therapist.
  • Be self-sufficient. Never ask a staff member to be responsible for your own comfort as a sentinel. The ward, they are likely to remind you, is not a hotel. Bring your own water, snacks, hand-washies, pillow, blanket, book (see the Sentinel's Overnight Kit, in the next chapter). Don't snack from the food in the nurses' lounge. In fact, don't go into the lounge at all.
  • Help out, but ask first. "I don't want to be in the way, but . . . " is a good way to start. Then, "If you show me what to do, I can empty the emesis (vomiting) basin or the bedpan." "I'll be glad to refill the water/ice pitcher." "If you help me figure it out, I'll be glad to help change [the patient's] hospital gown."
  • If you see an opportunity to commit ordinary kindness, take it. Clear off the patient's meal tray and carry it to the waiting cart. If the charge nurse drops his pen while multitasking, pick it up and hand it over. With a smile. If you see litter on the floor, pick it up and throw it away. Then wash your hands.
  • Think before you invade privacy. The whole staff is wearing pajama-like scrubs or loose uniforms, and the place is full of biology. So it might seem natural to ask almost anybody almost any personal question, or make any personal observation, or perform almost any little acts of personal intimacy. But that can be perceived as intrusive. Unless you already have established a relationship with a staff member, don't ask, "Do you have children?" "How did you get that scar?" "Do you think [the respiratory therapist, for instance] is gay?" "I'll bet you've had Botox." "I'll bet your feet really spread in those things." "Here, let me tuck that in for you." "Where does it itch? Here? Here?"
  • Be globally polite. You'll be dealing with staff people from all over the world, many of them learning English as a second language. Rather than telling someone to "get somebody in here who speaks English!" say, "I'm having some trouble understanding you. Please slow down a little." If that doesn't work, repeat back what you think the person has said, in short easy sentences or by demonstrating. "You pull the bed rail up and anchor it like this?"
  • Respect the pressure on the nurses, including their time spent "charting." Don't interrupt! No matter how long the shift, how many patients they were responsible for, and what crises have occurred, your nurses may not go home until everything is charted. This means filling in every blank, initialing every action, documenting every encounter in writing (or on the computer) demanded by the bureaucracy. 

Copyright © 2007 Laura Nathanson