tawam hospital oncology/hematology 1 unit

Patient and Family Education

TAWAM HOSPITAL

ONCOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY 1

UNIT

PATIENT AND CARERS GUIDE

Patient and Family Education Oncology/Hematology 1 Unit

Table of Contents

Overview 3

Admissions 3

Room Orientation 3

Patient Identification Band 5

Valuables and Belongings 6

Visitors and Sitter 7

Daily Unit Routine 11

Catering 14

Smoking and Fire Alarms 16

Discharge Planning 17

Satisfaction during Your Stay 18

Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) Patient Safety Goals

19

Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) Patient 19


Safety Goals

Welcome to ONCOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY 1

Overview:

We are an 18 bedded inpatient ward providing care for adult patients with a cancer diagnosis. Oncology/Hematology 1 also provides a treatment room that is used for short stay outpatient procedures, a counseling room and a waiting area. Your care will be coordinated by a team of health care professionals including doctors, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers, pathologists and radiologists.

All Tawam employees shall wear a visible hospital identification badge so you will be aware of their name and position in the organization. Any person entering your room should introduce themselves to you so you know who they are.

ADMISSIONS Admissions are expected to arrive before 09:00 am unless otherwise advised. This is to avoid delays especially in chemotherapy administration. If you arrive late you may be requested to return on another day.

ROOM ORIENTATION


There are 18 single rooms with private bathroom facilities.

There are two negative pressure rooms for patients requiring isolation. The negative pressure rooms have a large sliding door into an entrance room and then a second door into the bedroom. This double door and special filter system allows for the air to be cleaner with less risk of germs. This system only works if the double doors are kept closed. One door should be opened and closed behind you before opening the second door; this maintains the balance of clean filtered air.

Rooms are furnished with a remote controlled television, a telephone (for incoming calls and local use only), a prayer mat and a Qur’an. You will be supplied with a two pronged adapter that must be used at all times.

A nurse call system is available in the room for your use. It is only necessary to press the button once as the call continues to register at the nurses’ station until it is switched off at your bedside by the attending nurse. At times your nurse maybe busy with another patient so another member of the team may attend to your call.

Any medical equipment is for staff use only.

All rooms are equipped with bins for disposing of waste. There are different colors for different types of waste which are as follows:


Please ask any staff member for help when disposing

of glass bottles, spray cans or sharp items including

needles.

Black Lined Bins: All clean paper waste, food scraps and water

bottles are disposed in these. Any other paper e.g. used tissue paper to be disposed into yellow lined bins. Please do not spit or vomit into these bins.

Yellow Lined Bins: For medical waste only; no paper, food,

fruit, bottles or spray cans are to be placed in these. Tissue paper with your body fluid or blood on it can go in here.

A sleeper couch is provided for one sitter only to sleep. No

extra beds or chairs will be provided for safety reasons.

A wardrobe with a lockable drawer and bedside cupboard

are available for your personal belongings.

No furnishings or equipment should be removed from the

room.

Bathroom and toilet facilities are for patient and sitter use

only. Visitor toilet facilities are available in the waiting area

PATIENT IDENTIFICATION BAND

All in-patients are required to wear identification bands

specifying their full name and medical record number.


These ensure that we can always correctly identify you

for correct procedures and medication administration.

It is very important to NOT REMOVE this band

during your stay with.

VALUABLES AND BELONGINGS

We strongly advise you to not bring valuables (rings,

watches, money, mobile phones) into the hospital.

Your wardrobe has a lockable drawer where valuables

can be kept if required and you will be responsible for

the key.

When you leave the unit for a procedure your valuables

should be given to a relative or your nurse for safe

keeping. The nurse will lock them away safely in your

cupboard until you come back from the procedure and

are fully awake. Two nurses will check your valuables to

record exactly what has been stored, which you will be

required to verify and sign. Upon your recovery, you

will then be required to check and verify with two

nurses again on your return and sign to confirm that all

items were returned.

Preferably valuables should be handed over to a family

member on admission and not be kept in your room

unattended.


In case personal items are lost please report immediately

to your nurse who will inform security. All efforts will

be made to recover missing items but we cannot be held

responsible for your own belongings whilst you are an

inpatient.

On admission we will check with you the contents of

your room to ensure all items listed are present and in

working order. Before you are discharged we will check

this list again with you to ensure all of the items are

available for the next patient with a fully equipped

room. Thank you for your understanding.

Room contents checklist

Items

T.V. and DVD remote controls

Telephone

Qur’an

Prayer mat

Blood pressure cuff & pulse oximeter

Electrical plug adaptor

Wardrobe keys

VISITORS and SITTER

Visits from family and friends are appreciated and at times

may assist your recovery. However we appreciate that when


you are not feeling well they can be exhausting and at times

even over whelming which is why we have the following

guidelines in place to allow for your safety and rest.

Only 2 visitors are allowed inside your room at any one

time. This helps to limit your exposure to infections and

allows you rest times. If you are neutropenic no more than

a total of 6 visitors will be permitted each day.

Your visitors should always be in good health with no

obvious signs of coughs, flu like symptoms, fever or open

wounds.

Hand Hygiene: Visitors MUST wash their hands

thoroughly with soap and water or use the hand sanitizer

provided at the door before entering and after leaving the

patient room.

No fresh flowers, fresh fruits, blankets or carpets from

outside are allowed inside the patient room due to your

susceptibility to infection.

Personal belongings must be kept to a minimum and not

more than what can fit within the provided storage space.

This is for your safety and enables your nurse to provide

the best possible care.

The visiting children under the age of 12 years of age are

discouraged. However in exceptional circumstances and


with the prior approval of your treating doctor you can

arrange to visit with children off the unit. Young children

visiting with their parents will not be permitted. No

children will be permitted to stay overnight. This is for the

safety of all patients but, primarily for the children’s safety.

Children are at greater risk of being exposed to

germs/infections and/or chemotherapy medications.

Visiting hours

Regular days: 1600-2200

Weekends : 1000-2200

Please ensure your visitors are aware of the visiting hours as

they will not be permitted to enter the unit until visiting

hours commence.

Ramadan: During the holy month of Ramadan, the

visiting hours shall vary according to Iftar. The patient

affairs department will publish the official visiting hours

every year before Ramadan begins.

Garden: There is a garden especially for Oncology and

Hematology patients and visitors. This is a restful area for

patients and family to visit together and has a pergola with

bed access for those patients confined to bed to enjoy fresh

air and time with their families. This is a non-smoking


garden. Please dispose of all rubbish in bins provided and

be considerate to those around you.

Security will come to inspect all rooms after visiting hours

to ensure all visitors leave on time to allow you to rest and

sleep.

Any visitors who fail to comply with the above

guidelines will be asked to leave by security.


Sitter

Only one sitter in good health is allowed to stay with the

patient. If your sitter has a medical condition for which they

are being treated, please inform the nursing team so that in

an emergency they are aware of their condition.

Sitters should be over the age of 18

Sitters are expected to participate in patient care including

hygiene needs, assistance with mobilizing, toileting and

feeding.

Sitters are asked to kindly make their own bed and to keep

the bedroom tidy. Linen will be provided.

DAILY UNIT ROUTINE A nurse will monitor your temperature, pulse and blood

pressure at regular intervals during the day and night

depending on your condition. We may at times have to

wake you. This is always for your wellbeing.

At least once during the day shift and once during the night

shift a nurse will examine you with a stethoscope and ask


you questions to assess your physical and mental wellbeing

so we can plan your care needs.

You will be weighed at least twice a week.

Nurses will administer medications prescribed for you at

several intervals during the day and night. We may have to

disturb you but medications need to be taken at set times

and should be taken when prescribed. It is of benefit to you

to take your medicines when the nurse brings them to you,

refusing medications or delaying their prescribed times can

delay your treatment effectiveness and affect your recovery.

Medications will NEVER be left in your room for you to

take later.

You may be taken to other parts of the hospital for special

tests or examinations, but sometimes procedures may also

be performed in your own room.

The doctors perform a daily round to see all patients. The

round starts at approximately 09.30 and include the nurses,

a pharmacist and an interpreter if required.

Expect a nurse to wake you early in the morning to collect

blood samples. This allows your doctor to have the results

ready for the morning round so they can prescribe your

treatment for the day and plan ahead for your care or

discharge.


If you have a central line your dressing will be changed on a Monday and Thursday or more often as assessed by your nurse.

Peripheral cannula's (needles in a vein, often in your hand or arm) will be changed every 3 days or sooner if they are not working properly. This will be assessed by your nurse.

All patients are expected to shower and change their clothes, preferably a hospital gown, at least once daily. Nursing staff will assist you with this if your sitter is unable to.

Before attending any areas such as Angiography, Operating Room or Endoscopy for procedures you will be required to shower using a special disinfectant and change into a clean hospital gown. Your bed linen will be changed at this time. This is necessary as it helps to reduce the transfer of germs to these clean areas and also reduces your risk of developing an infection.

Your bed will be made daily with clean linen. If you or your sitter removes dirty linen please ensures they are placed in the dirty linen hamper, a nurse will guide you. Please do not leave them on the floor.

Housekeeping staff will clean your room every day and will empty rubbish bins frequently. Please help us by keeping the room tidy at all times.


CATERING

Patients are advised to eat hospital cooked food during their stay and not food from outside. All patients will be provided with 3 meals daily and snacks twice a day. Daily visits by the dietician will help to fulfill your specific nutritional needs. Menus are circulated daily by our friendly food server. If you need assistance in completing the menu card please ask for help.

Catering staff will knock on your door before entering to deliver food, drinks and or snacks.

Catering staff will not deliver food into any room where a patient is in isolation. They will knock to inform you and your sitter that the meal has arrived and can be collected from outside the room. Alternatively you nurse will bring the meal into your room.

Food trays should NEVER be left on the floor, they should be left in your room for collection or alternatively they may be taken to the patient kitchen for collection.

A kitchen is available on the unit where you can store food in our fridge. Please ask a nurse to provide one of your identification labels so we can label your food and add the date and time so we know who the food belongs to and that your food is fresh. Food cannot be stored in the unit


fridge for longer than 24hrs so please do not bring more than you can eat in this period of time. It is important to have clean fresh food to reduce the risk of unnecessary sickness. All fridges are checked daily and items not labeled with name, date and time or that is more than 24 hours old will be discarded. No medications are to be stored in this fridge.

The kitchen also has a microwave for reheating meals and a kettle for making hot drinks in between those delivered to the unit. We always advise that you make sure food is well cooked and hot to reduce chances of infection.

Mealtimes (approximate)

Breakfast from 07:00 am - 08:00 am Lunch from 12:00 pm - 01:00 pm Dinner from 05:00 pm - 06:00 pm

Every morning and afternoon hot coffee, tea, juice and snacks will be served.

During mealtimes we avoid where possible interruptions to give you the time to enjoy eating and relax. It also allows us time to help other patients who may need assistance with feeding. Staff adjust work patterns to ensure mealtimes can be free from any activities such as giving medications and taking vital signs wherever possible.


However we also encourage patients to eat on time in order not to compromise their health and to avoid delaying medications which need to be given at appropriate times.

SMOKING and FIRE ALARMS

Tawam Hospital operates a NO SMOKING POLICY and smoking is prohibited in all areas of the hospital.

Patients and visitors are expected to abide at all times to the No Smoking Policy. We discourage smoking due to the harmful effects to health and the risk of fire occurrence.

Tawam Hospital realizes that “Bukhor” is a part of UAE culture but due to fire and safety risks we do not permit its use on this unit.

The hospital has piped oxygen supplies to each patient room. Oxygen fuels flammable materials and increases the risk for fire.

Your room and the rest of the hospital are well equipped with automated Fire Alarm Systems. All of the alarms typically comprise of heat and smoke detectors, alarm bells, or buzzers and manual call points.

Non-compliance will not be tolerated and will be reported accordingly to the Safety and Security Department.


Fire drills are conducted on a regular basis. In the event of a real fire you will be told what to do by a member of staff and escorted to safety. Please ensure you are familiar with the fire exits on the unit.

DISCHARGE PLANNING

During the daily ward round our team will discuss with you a plan for your discharge.

Discharges should occur in the morning where possible. Please arrange your transport home as early as possible.

Any medications which you will require when you leave hospital will be issued to you before you leave and you will be educated on how to take it.

A discharge summary and an appointment for either a clinic visit or for readmission to the unit will be given if required.

Please speak to your doctor if you need a certificate for your employer for sick leave.

We are not able to provide financial assistance for taxis or bus fares. Families are expected to arrange and provide your transport home after leaving hospital.

Discharge against medical advice

If you decide to leave the unit against the doctors’ advice, you will be asked to sign a form stating that you are deciding to


leave at your own risk and against medical advice. You will be asked to provide a phone number so a member of staff can call you within 24 hours to check on your condition, this is voluntary. A Patient Relations Officer may also be called to discuss with you your reason/s for wanting to leave.

SATISFACTION DURING YOUR STAY

It is our intention that during your stay in the Oncology Unit you will be fully satisfied with the care and services you receive. If this is the case please let us know as it is always nice to be told about what we do well.

From time to time situations may arise that may cause dissatisfaction. This could be from a service or an individual. If this happens we would like to know about your concerns so that we are able to address them immediately and have a chance to further improve our unit.

If you do experience dissatisfaction please report this immediately to a member of your healthcare team, a nurse or a doctor and tell them you would like to discuss your concerns. We can then arrange for the most appropriate manager to visit you to hear your concerns and investigate where needed.

We have a complaints procedure in Tawam and Patient Affairs, staff are trained to deal with such issues in a confidential and sensitive manner. We are always open to suggestions to improve our service, so value your


comments. Please be assured your care will not be compromised in any way.

Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA)

International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG)

1. Identify Patients correctly

2. Improve Effective Communication

3. Improve the Safety of High-Alert Medications

4. Ensure correct-site, correct-procedure, correct-patient Surgery

5. Reduce the Risk of Health Care – Associated Infections

6. Reduce the Risk of Patient Harm Resulting from Falls

Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD)

Patient Safety Goals (PSG)

1. Improve the accuracy of patient identification

2. Improve the effectiveness of communication among care givers and care recipients

3. Improve the safety of using medications and medical devices


4. Reducing the risk of healthcare associated infections

5. Ensuring correct site, correct procedure, correct patient for all procedures

6. Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care

7. Encourage patients active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy

8. Improve recognition and response to changes in a patient’s condition

9. Reducing risk of patient harm resulting from falls

10. Reduce the risk of hospital fires

Developed by Oncology/Hematology 1 / Tawam Hospital

For inquiries and more information:

Please do not hesitate to contact Oncology/Hematology 1,

on telephone number: 03-7074747 or 03-7074744


© Copyright (12/2011) Revised (03/2012) 2nd revision (05/2012) Track # 1115 E Oncology/Hematology 1

The information contained in this pamphlet is designed for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider.

tawam hospital oncology/hematology 1 unit

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