How Modern Hospitals Are Improving Patient Care

Men and women today are better informed when it comes to healthcare options. They want the best care at all times, and hospitals recognize this. These healthcare facilities continue to take steps to improve patient care. The following three areas are where many of these facilities have turned their focus today. 

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Help for Nurses

Nurses work long hours, often doing the work of two or three people. This leads to unhappiness, which negatively affects patient care. When nurses are happy, patients are healthy, so every healthcare organization needs to find ways to make the jobs of nurses easier. 

Nurses should not take on non-clinical tasks. Provide a cart for the phlebotomist so they can keep their supplies on hand. The nurse will no longer need to gather supplies for the phlebotomist if they don’t have everything they need to care for a patient. 

Have administrative staff members locate paperwork and call the IT team if a patient is having a technology issue in their room. Find ways to allow patients to handle non-clinical requests directly with the appropriate department rather than have them go through a nurse.

The nursing staff will appreciate this, as it gives them more time for bedside care and patient education. This is what makes them happy and why they went into the field initially. When they are happy, patient outcomes improve. 

Patient Education

Health outcomes improve when a patient understands what they need to do for their health and well-being. In the past, nurses took on the task of educating patients. However, with an increased nurse-to-patient load and a diverse population, having nurses provide this education has become more of a challenge. 

To empower patients when it comes to their health, healthcare facilities should turn a patient’s room or a waiting room into a learning environment. Televisions can supply health education geared to the patient. 

The information delivered may provide more information about their diagnosis or care plan. A video may provide information about their medication, how and when it should be taken, and when they should contact the doctor.

In addition, the television may provide information about what they need to do following their discharge from the facility or how to handle a care transition. However, this doesn’t mean medical professionals should step away from patient education completely. 

A doctor or nurse may ask the patient to explain what they have learned from the videos. They need to learn whether the patient has questions and answer these questions. In addition, they need to provide the patient with resources they can turn to if questions arise after they leave the facility.

Building Design

Often, when discussing how best to improve patient care, the focus is on the human role in this relationship. However, the building design also plays a role in a patient’s experience within a hospital. For instance, a hospital should consider changing to indirect light to benefit those patients who spend most of the day on their backs. 

Other options include using natural daylight to brighten a room or choosing fixtures that wash ceilings with indirect illumination so patients won’t be subject to glare. Task lighting may be provided for clinicians, allowing them to see clearly when handling vital tasks. 

In addition, the hospital should work to reduce noise. A reduction in noise levels improves patient outcomes. Use acoustical ceiling tiles and other measures to keep noise to a minimum, particularly for those who have just learned they have a serious condition and those who have undergone a surgical procedure. 

Hospital administrators must always find ways to improve patient outcomes. The three measures mentioned above are only a starting point for any healthcare facility looking to provide better patient care.

This process should be ongoing at all times, as advances in various industries benefit hospitals and other medical provider facilities. Learn more today about the many ways in which patient care can be improved, as every person deserves the best when it comes to their health. 

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