A Patient's Guide to a Safe Hospital Stay

11 Ways to Be Part of Your Care Team

1. Write down questions as they occur to you, then ask your nurse or physician for answers
   
   
2. If something doesn’t seem right, tell your nurse or physician
   
   
3. If you have any concerns or fears, talk to your nurse
   
   
4. If you don’t recognize a medicine, ask your nurse to double-check that it is correct
   
   
5. Make sure anyone who gives you medicine first checks your wristband ID
   
   
6. Anyone who touches you, including visitors, should wash or sanitize their hands first; it is OK for you to ask if they did
   
   
7. Don’t get out of bed without help unless you are told you can
   
   
8. Listen closely to all instructions, ask for instructions to be repeated if you don’t understand, then follow them
   
   
9. Tell your caregivers about all medications you take at home, including supplements and over-the-counter medications
   
   
10. Remind caregivers about your allergies
    
    
11. Ask for a clear explanation if you don’t understand why something is being done
    

What Can I Expect During My Stay?

• You will be treated with respect and courtesy
  
  
• Any employee who enters your room will be wearing a name badge and will introduce themselves to you
  
  
• You will be the center of your health care team and will be involved in making decisions about your care
  
  
• Your identification will be checked often, especially before each dose of medicine is given
  
  
• Your surgical site may be marked before surgery
  

What Can My Family Do?

• Choose one person from your family to provide updates about your condition to other family members
  
  
• Ask someone you trust to stay with you at the hospital to help you remember instructions, ask questions you may not think of when you aren’t feeling well, and make sure you get the care you need to feel comfortable and safe
  
  
• Ask a family member or friend to go over consent forms with you to make sure you understand exactly what you are about to sign
  

What if I Have a Complaint or Concern?

• First, talk to your nurse about it
  
  
• Next, ask to speak with the nurse manager on your unit
  
  
• Third, call Patient Relations at (231) 935-5051 to speak with a Patient Liaison or leave a message for a Patient Liaison to call you back
  

What Questions Should I Ask?

To be an effective part of your care team, you need to know what’s going on. Keep asking questions until you fully understand. Here are four questions to get you started:

• What’s wrong with me?
  
  
• What do my test results show?
  
  
• What are my choices for treatment?
  
  
• How often is that procedure performed here?
  

Partners in Safety

Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Mercy Hospital Cadillac
Mercy Hospital Grayling
Munson Medical Center
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
West Shore Medical Center

If you are a Munson Healthcare patient and have a compliment, concern, or complaint, please contact one of our Patient Liaisons.

If your concerns are not addressed by the hospital's management, you may contact the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations at 1-800-994-6610 or complaint@jcaho.org.

We welcome your comments and suggestions about this Web site.