Typical Hospital Routine
The hospital day usually begins around 6:00 a.m. The reason everything happens earlier in a hospital than at home is that with the many tests available for an accurate diagnosis, the sooner the results are obtained the better. The physician in charge can then make his or her decision as a result of the tests.
The night staff has to make a note of vital signs first thing in the morning. This includes taking your temperature and your pulse, monitoring your respiration, and possibly taking your blood pressure. This monitoring of vital signs will be repeated usually four times during the day.
Shortly after you wake up, you may be visited by a laboratory technician for a blood sample. The laboratories prefer to have the bulk of the blood specimens ready when the day staff arrives at 8:00 a.m. This enables the laboratory staff to complete its work by 5:00 p.m.
Before breakfast you are expected to wash. If you are convalescing, your physician may have indicated on the order sheet that you can have bathroom privileges. This means you can take care of your personal toilet at the start of the day, go to the bathroom, wash, or take a shower when you feel like it, depending to some extent on the availability of a bathroom.
If you are confined to bed, then toilet facilities are brought to you and assistance given if it is needed. This may be done at any time in the morning depending on how busy the floor is, how many sick patients require a lot of personal attention, or how many patients have to be prepared for early surgery or X rays.
Breakfast is usually served between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. Patients often find that, because there is little in their day to occupy them, they look forward to mealtimes with interest because meals break up the day.
