Nobody likes being confined in a hospital for an illness or injury, and the days that a patient spends hospitalised can be among their loneliest and most difficult. In instances like these, most patients look forward to hospital visits from their loved ones. Visits can be a source of comfort and good cheer, both of which are essential to a patient’s holistic recovery.
But visitors must also be aware that seeing a friend or family member in the hospital isn’t the same as paying them a courtesy call in their home. Hospitals have strict rules, all of which should be observed so that nothing gets in the way of medical professionals’ work and their patients’ healing.
This is where the idea of hospital etiquette, or good manners for conducting oneself in a hospital setting, comes in. When visiting a patient at a Singapore hospital, remember to follow these eight basic tenets of hospital etiquette so that the visit goes smoothly for both you and your loved one:
Acquaint Yourself with the Hospital’s Rules
First, before you plan your visit, make sure that you’re well acquainted with the hospital’s rules. Observe their visitation times for particular wards and take note of what items you’re not allowed to bring into the hospital’s premises.
Most hospitals have their rules posted right outside their premises or on their official websites and social media accounts. Find these and brief yourself, as well as other people you may be visiting with, before you set foot into the hospital.
Speak Quietly and Move Around Carefully
Outside the patient’s room, remember to keep your voice down and to tread extra carefully within the hospital’s quarters. Your consideration will help other patients rest without any disturbances, and it will also ensure that medical staff can move around and communicate with each other without any obstructions.
Make Sure You’re Well Enough to Visit
Knowing that your loved one may be in a fragile state, and that they are more susceptible to disease in their current condition, take special care not to put them at any additional risk. Only visit them in the hospital when you’re confident that you’re well enough to do so. If you’re feeling under the weather or have a cough or cold, play it safe and postpone meeting the patient until both of you are better.
Give a Heads-Up to the Person You’re Visiting
Though the latter may be a welcome treat in other settings, the hospital isn’t the right place for a surprise visit. Always give a heads-up to the patient, as well as their primary caretaker, if you intend to visit them. That way, you won’t disturb them when they’re meant to be resting or speaking with their doctors.
Be Careful about What You Bring into the Hospital Room
Many visitors like to bring in food, bouquets of flowers, and other gifts to cheer a patient up. If you intend to do the same, be sensitive about what you bring into the room. Make sure that flowers won’t aggravate any allergies that the patient has, and that the food and drinks you bring in are appropriate for their prescribed diet. Otherwise, the patient may not enjoy receiving your gifts as much as you wanted them to.
To be safe, you can express your thoughtfulness in other ways, for example by sending the patient an encouraging text message after you’ve left the hospital or giving them a “get well soon” card signed by your other friends or family members. These actions may do just as much to boost the patient’s spirits, all without compromising them even further or making them feel bad about being confined.
Observe the Patient’s Personal Space
Some hospital rooms and wards can be very tight and difficult to move around in, but it’s important for the patient to always have their personal space. Avoid sitting on their bed or crowding around them, and leave the way clear whenever they need to go to the bathroom. This will keep them from experiencing any additional stress, and it will also prevent untoward events like getting in the way of their IV drip if they’re using one.
Give the Patient Time to Speak to Their Doctors and Nurses
Medical staff may slip into the patient’s room at certain times to give them updates about their condition or to administer prescribed treatments. When it’s time for the patient to consult their doctors and nurses or to receive treatment or medication, stay quiet or step out of the room unless you’re explicitly asked to stay. Let the patient and their attending staff focus on the matters at hand and engage the former again only when they’re finished.
Keep Up a Positive and Empathetic Attitude
Lastly, throughout your visit, try to stay positive and to exercise empathy for what your loved one is going through. Instead of scolding them about their situation or dwelling on the worst-case scenario, give them the opportunity to share their thoughts and articulate how they’re feeling. Emphasise how much they matter to you and how you’ll support them throughout their recovery. That attitude is what will boost their morale and bring them closer towards the healing they need.
Final Words
Getting better is the first thing on any patient’s mind, and the thought is likely shared by everyone else in their social circles. While you may be anxious for your loved one to recover, don’t forget that they can only do so if they can rest and focus on their treatment. Be a good visitor to them—as well as the other patients and the medical staff who populate the hospital—by observing hospital etiquette.
