On the day you are scheduled for admission to hospital, you should report to the information desk in the Serrehal and take a seat on one of the blue sofas. A volunteer host or hostess will meet you there and take you to the hospital ward. You may bring along a companion.
What to take with you to hospital
- Your patient ID card (the ponsplaatje)
- Any medication you are on and an up-to-date list of the medicines you are using
- If you have a medication passport and/or a Thrombosis Service card, please have those with you as well
- A list of dietary requirements
- Underwear, pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers
- If you are not confined to bed, then pack some comfortable clothes and lace-up shoes to wear
- Toiletries
- Your reading glasses and/or hearing aids
- Books, magazines, paper and pen
We recommend caution when it comes to valuables such as jewellery, a laptop, a mobile telephone or cash. You will have a bedside table, but it is not lockable. The hospital cannot be held responsible if any of your belongings go missing.
Intake interview with nurse
After you arrive in the ward, you will have an intake interview with the nurse. The nurse will tell you about the daily schedule on the ward and ask you several questions of importance for your admission. You can naturally ask the nurse questions too. Do let the nurse know whether the ward needs to allow for any special conditions, for example if you are allergic to iodine, plasters or certain medicines, or if you are on a special diet.
Wristband
When you are admitted, the nurse will give you a wristband bearing your name and date of birth. You must wear the wristband at all times during your admission; it serves as your ID so that you will not be mistaken for another patient. The wristband also has a unique barcode. Using a scanner, the bar code on your wristband and a computer, your physician or nurse will administer only the drugs that you really need in safe dosages.
Drugs
It is important to show the physician the drugs that you use at home. You may be taking your own medication for a brief period while you are in hospital. If you are given drugs in the hospital, take them as soon you receive them. The schedule for dispensing drugs is planned specifically to ensure a steady level of effectiveness throughout the day. For information about drug use or the drugs themselves, consult a nurse or the physician attending you on the ward.
Contact person in your family
The nurse will ask you for the details of your contact person. This person is then authorised to ask the nursing staff in the ward for updates on your condition after your test or procedure. The hospital does this so that nurses do not have to convey the same information to several different people. If other friends and family want to know how you are doing, they can call your contact person.
Hospital ward
Virtually every hospital ward has a nursing staff consisting of a head nurse and one or more unit heads. The nurses are present 24 hours a day and they are your first point of contact for any questions or problems.
The hospital wards have various one-bed, two-bed or four-bed rooms. The one- and four-bed rooms have a toilet, washbasin and shower. The two-bed rooms have a toilet and washbasin area. Patients may also use the showers or bathrooms along the corridor.
Safety checklist
At various points during your hospital stay, the physicians and nurses will ask you certain questions from a safety checklist. They do this to make sure that they have all your medical information. You may have to answer the same question several times (for example your name, date of birth and which operation you have been admitted for). You may start to think that we do not have this information, but the point of repeating the questions is to be absolutely certain and to ensure that we are providing the right treatment and care. Many hospitals worldwide work with the safety checklist. Checking and doublechecking reduces the risk of error.