(July 1st 2020) Being admitted to hospital can be a very anxious time, it does not matter if it is a planned or emergency admission it is taking a person out of their regular environment and placing them in strange surroundings where the routine is unfamiliar to them.
With this in mind Tallaght University Hospital have created an inpatient guide for patients which includes the daily routine of meal times, illustrated guide of uniforms introducing the different staff a patient may come across their stay, facilities that are available within the Hospital most importantly supports to help a patient take a greater part in their health and healthcare.
Commenting on the Patient Guide, Chair of the Patient Community Advisory Council (PCAC) Catherine Heaney said “The members of the PCAC were all given an opportunity to contribute to the content of this guide, bringing our experience as patients / carers making sure things were included that we would find useful. We also think it will be of huge benefit not just to the patient but also to their families giving them an insight into the routine in the Hospital and most importantly the plans for the patient being discharged.”
“We provide patients with a lot of information on their health conditions but have not focussed previously on their Hospital stay and how they can get the best out of it. By providing the information in this patient guide we hope it will both enable and empower patients and families to be actively involved in their care, medication management and discharge planning. We are encouraging patients to play a more active role in their health care and the information in this patient guide is a great way to support that role,” commented Áine Lynch, Director of Nursing at TUH.
The Guide is available on the TUH website, Hospital App and will be provided to patients when they are admitted to a hospital ward. This initiative was led by the Communications Department in TUH with support from colleagues across multiple disciplines and the Patient Advice & Liaison Service.
