Ask Us Questions-It’s Good for Your Health

While the staff at Grand View Health go to great length to keep you safe, you also play an important role in your safety. The following are ways that you and the Grand View staff can work together to help ensure your stay with us is a safe one.

Preventing Medical Errors

Our staff will take every precaution to prevent medical errors. As part of our prevention efforts, we will continually check your identity and ask you about your care. In addition, we encourage you to speak up if you have questions about your care. Research shows that patients who are more involved in their care tend to get better results.

Medications

All medications are prescribed by your physician and dispensed in the hospital pharmacy by registered pharmacists. You can help prevent medical errors by:

• Showing the person giving you your medicine your Grand View Health ID bracelet.
• Making sure your doctors know of all medications that you have been taking recently, including prescriptions. Also inform them of items you have purchased in stores, including any herbs or vitamins.
• Not taking any medications, herbs or supplements brought from home.
• Asking for information about the medications you are being given in words that you can understand. This includes:

1. The name of the medication
2. Its purpose
3. When you are to take it and for how long
4. Possible side effects and what you should do if you experience them
5. Whether it is safe to take with other medicines, vitamins or herbal remedies
6. What food or drinks to avoid, if any

• Feeling free to discuss any medication concerns with your nurse or doctor.
• Remembering to tell your nurse about any medication, dye or food allergies you may have.
• Asking for written information regarding possible side effects.

Should you want more detailed information, please ask your nurse for the brochure, Safe Medication Tips. Also ask for the Medication Card brochure to keep track of your medications.

Hand Washing

Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection and is the professional responsibility of all health-care workers. While you are at Grand View Health, feel free to ask your health-care workers whether they have washed their hands. Wash your own hands frequently. This will prevent you from spreading contaminants from one area of your body to another or to other patients.

Surgical Site

If you are having surgery, make sure you have spoken with your surgeon and clearly understand what will be done. When preparing you for surgery, your nurse will ask you what type of surgery you will be having. Physician will mark the location of the surgery with the word “YES”.

Preventing Falls

Unfamiliar surroundings, the stress of a medical procedure, and medications can increase your risk of falling. Grand View Health has developed a Fall Prevention Program to help you and your visitors reduce your risk of falling. Should you be at risk for falling, we will place a yellow band on your wrist and yellow slipers on your feet to alert our health-care team to help keep you safe. You can further reduce your risk of falling by:

• Being sure of objects, including the call bell, bedside table, and telephone, are within your reach.
• Using your call bell if you need help or feel dizzy, lightheaded, or weak. Wait for the nurse.
• Not trying to climb over or put down the side rails of your bed.
• Wearing slippers with non-skid soles. If you do not have any, ask your nurse.
• Not leaning on rolling objects, such as IV poles or your bedside table.
• Calling the nurse immediately if a spill occurs on the floor.
• Following recommendations to use assistive devices, such as a walker or cane, or holding onto handrails in the bathroom or hallway.

Advise your visitors to:

• Not lower raised side rails or touch bed-check monitor alarms.
• Check with the nursing staff before helping you in or out of bed.
• Notify the nurse when they are leaving and make sure the call bell is within reach.
• Tell the nurse any information that might help to ensure your safety.

Knives, Guns & Sharp Items

Please leave any items that could pose a safety threat to patients, visitors or staff at home. This includes guns, sharp scissors, pepper spray, mace, box cutters and knives. If we become aware of these items among your belongings, we will remove them from your room and lock them in our safe. Any items will be returned to you upon discharge.

Fire Drills

Grand View Health holds routine fire drills for hospital employee preparedness. If a fire alarm sounds, return to your room. The nurse will close your room door.

Safety & Security

Questions regarding hospital safety and/or security can be addressed by asking the switchboard operator to page a security officer on duty.