Overview
This unit deals with various infectious diseases which patients are diagnosed with. According to our mission statement we do all we can to provide quality care to our patients. General Medicine consists of skilled health professionals who are dedicated and willing to serve the needs of our patients to enable them recover quickly. As a result, the hospital has put in place effective systems to guide our patients and other visitors on how they are required to conduct themselves inside the facility. This project will come up with several guidelines to make all patients and visitors aware about various safety issues they need to take note of. The organization has realized that there is a need to implement visitation guidelines which are responsive to cultural backgrounds of all patients, caregivers and visitors.
Goals and Objectives
These visitation guidelines are intended to offer patients a positive healthcare environment. All patients need to be offered high quality healthcare services to help them recuperate easily from various health conditions that afflict them. All patients need to get adequate rest in their wards without any disturbances. As a result, visitors to the infectious section will only be allowed to see their patients from 9 am to 9 pm. Overnight stays will only be allowed in limited cases. This policy seeks to address cultural differences that exist in this community to enable the institution provide high quality services to all patients (Frampton, ‎Charmel, & ‎Guastello, 2013, p. 67). As a result, this document will be translated in several languages that are spoken by different people living in this community. This will help all community members understand how they need to protect themselves from various infections they are likely to get exposed to in different places.
All patients need to be treated with empathy and compassion to make them feel special. Therefore, the institution has a responsibility to put in place precautionary measures to ensure all visitors and patients are protected from various hazards. If this plan succeeds, the hospital will be able to reduce the number of people in the community who get ill due to various infectious diseases. All healthcare professionals and patients were consulted before the adoption of this policy (Frampton, ‎Charmel, & ‎Guastello, 2013, p. 73). The hospital’s administration has realized that a patient centered approach will help it change peoples’ perceptions towards healthcare. All stakeholders felt it was necessary to use a multi lingual approach to ensure the document communicated these guidelines to all stakeholders in the community.
Audience
This document has been well prepared to suit different people living in different communities. It follows high standards of practice which all medical staff in this unit are expected to adhere to. The document intends to create a favorable healing environment in the institution for all patients admitted in the infectious disease unit. The document will be prepared in English and other languages which are spoken by people who visit this facility regularly. This will help them understand important values that guide this institution in its operations (Morrison, 2011, p. 52). This document will communicate to all audiences in a simple manner to help them understand all guidelines that are contained in it. As a result, this will make them more knowledgeable about various issues they need to do to observe in their dealings with the institution.
Patient Education
The hospital has put in place policies which are intended to make patients well informed about their health conditions. These policies will be part of visitation guidelines and they will be used to educate patients’ families about different precautions they need to observe to avoid getting infected. In some instances, visitors will be restricted from entering wards where patients suffering from various communicable diseases are admitted. This will prevent visitors from contracting diseases which can later be spread to other people outside the hospital. Patients will also be educated on how to interact with their fellow patients to protect them from other infectious diseases they may get exposed to (Morrison, 2011, p. 57).
The hospital strives to create a positive healing environment for all patients who are admitted in different wards (Kaplow, 2007, p. 41). As a result, visitors will have to consult caregivers to find out the specific types of food a patient is allowed to eat. This will ensure all patients in the hospital are not given substances that are likely to complicate their recovery. Visitors will also be requested to talk in hushed tones to avoid making noise for other patients resting in their wards. This is intended to make the internal environment in the institution more appropriate for patients’ needs. The hospital will encourage all visitors to follow nurses’ instructions before seeing a patient to make them understand how they are supposed to conduct themselves. The hospital observes high levels of professionalism in its operations to give patients a satisfying service experience.
Plan
The institution is initiating these guidelines to give patients a congenial environment to help them recuperate. High standards of hygiene are going to be maintained in the facility to protect all people that come into contact with patients from getting unnecessary infections. The institution targets non-English speaking visitors to make them aware about internal policies and practices they need to observe. They are advised to comply with these guidelines to enhance their safety whenever they visit this institution (Kaplow, 2007, p. 46). Patients need to be given their privacy and on some occasions; visitors will be required to offer caregivers and doctors a chance to perform their duties. Information about a patient’s condition will only be given to a close relative or a spouse. The institution respects patients’ rights to privacy and has put in place a lot of safeguards to ensure confidential patient details are not shared in a haphazard manner. This is intended to protect patients from various forms of stigma and discrimination in their communities after they have been discharged.
Implementation
The implementation phase of this policy will be done after consultations with all patients, caregivers and other stakeholders have been done. This policy will be implanted in a humane way to ensure all stakeholders are satisfied with the quality of services offered in the institution. In some situations, some of these guidelines will have to be adjusted after consultations have been done between patients, their families and caregivers (Sells, 2000, p. 83). Some chronically ill patients may need close attention from their family members and friends to improve their comfort. The institution will remain compassionate to patients’ needs to give them mental strength to help them overcome different problems they are facing. However, children aged 12 and below will be restricted from entering some wards. This is intended to protect them from emotional and psychological trauma.
References
Frampton, S.B., ‎Charmel, P.A., & ‎Guastello, S. (2013). The putting patients first field guide: Global lessons in designing and implementing patient-centered care. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Kaplow, R. (2007). Critical care nursing: Synergy for optimal outcomes. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Morrison, E. (2011). Ethics in health administration: A practical approach for decision makers. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Sells, D.H. (2000). Security in the health care environment. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.