No two days will be alike during your hospital stay. However, there will be events that are routine.
Blood Samples
Blood samples are taken from your Hickman® line every day. These samples provide important information about your progress. If you do not have a Hickman® line, the samples will be taken from a vein in your arm. Most of the blood samples are taken between 5:00am and 6:30am. The results will be ready early in the day to allow the doctors and nurses to plan your care. Blood samples may also be taken at other times of the day.
Weight Measurement
You will be weighed every morning before breakfast to assess body fluid balance. Your nurse will perform a complete assessment of your physical condition, early in the morning and in the evening shifts.
Each morning the medical staff will make rounds to assess your condition. The doctor may see you more than once a day. Doctor rounds are a good time to ask questions or to set up a meeting for a longer talk. If you have trouble remembering questions you would like to ask, try writing them down. The nurses and doctors also consider your emotional status to be an important part of your regular assessments.
Allied Health Staff Visits
Other members of the health care team may also see you during the day. They include the occupational therapist, clinical pharmacist, dietitian, physiotherapist, social worker, or doctors from other areas that have been asked to see you. Most of these meetings will occur on a drop-in basis.
Treatment, Procedures, Activities, Visitors & Self Care
During each day, time must be made available for personal hygiene, mouth care, Hickman® line care, medications, diagnostic tests and procedures, treatments, educational activities, meals and exercise. Regardless of the length of your admission, we will provide teaching and information to prepare you for your eventual discharge.
Another important part of your daily routine will be visits and phone calls from family and friends.
Downtime
With such a busy schedule it is often necessary to find a balance that also permits some “downtime”. For health and a sense of well being, it is important to have some time to yourself. Each of us needs some form of quiet time for recreational activities, relaxation and rest. Your health care team will assist you in finding this balance.
