During your stay, you will meet a number of individuals who will be
involved in your care. Your physician will lead your health care team
in the creation of your plan of care and will involve the appropriate
caretakers to ensure that we are able to provide you with the best
clinical care possible. Here are some of the care providers you may
meet:
Nurse
You will have a registered nurse (R.N.) assigned to care for you at all
times during your hospitalization. Your nurse will work hand in hand
with your physician to coordinate your care. If you should have any
questions about your plan of care, or any other aspect of your
hospitalization, your nurse will either provide the answer or will find
the answer for you.
Charge Nurse
In addition to the nurse directly assigned to your care, a charge nurse
is assigned to coordinate the activities of each unit. This individual
is available to answer any questions or concerns that could not be
answered by your nurse.
Nursing Technician
The patient care associate is available to assist you in taking care of
your personal needs. The PCA will also assist your nurse in completing
essential monitoring of your medical condition, including taking your
vital signs and drawing your blood. On some units this position is
referred to as a critical care technician CCT).
Hospitalist
Hospitalists are doctors who devote their practice to the care of
hospitalized patients. Our hospitalists are board certified in internal
medicine. They see hospitalized patients who have been referred by
primary care doctors, emergency room doctors or other physicians at the
hospital. They do not see patients outside the hospital.
There are a number of reasons a hospitalist may coordinate your care
during your stay. For example, your primary care physician may request
that a hospitalist be responsible for your care while you are here if he
or she is unavailable to do so. The hospitalist will coordinate your
care and oversee the health care team taking care of you while at Northwest Hospital.
Case Managers and/or Social Workers
One of the important aspects of your care is ensuring the continuation
of your treatment plan following your discharge from the hospital.
Representatives of our Case Management department are here to assist you
in finding the equipment or services you may need. In addition to this function, our social workers assist in addressing the emotional
needs of our patients and families in times of crisis. If you feel a
need to speak with a social worker, please notify your physician or
nurse.
Environmental Services
Someone from our Environmental Services department will come in every
day to clean your room. We attempt to do this when you are away
temporarily for a test. If you have any cleaning needs, please contact
the HELP Line at extension 24357 and select number 2 for
housekeeping/environmental services.
Specialty Services
In addition to the roles described above, there are many other support
departments that may be involved in your care. These caretakers include consulting physicians, physician assistants, nurse
practitioner, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, registered
dietitian, radiology technicians and many others. If you are unsure of
an individual’s role in your care, or have a question related to a test
or procedure being performed, please do not hesitate to ask.