When you or someone you love have to spend time in a hospital, or another healthcare facility, the time there can be unnerving and overwhelming, particularly if there isn’t great communication between the staff and patient about the direction of care. Add in multiple doctors and nurses, and things can become downright scary for many people, as they feel they don’t know what’s going on and have no control over their situation. Thankfully, there are ways to mitigate this fear and the uncertainty of being in a healthcare facility without thorough communication. One such technique is to use whiteboards or glass boards in each room so that the patient knows what is going on and the staff can also communicate with one another.
Put Nurses and Medical Staff Closer to the Patient
Placing whiteboards in each room can help patient-staff communication by allowing nurses and other medical professionals to leave notes regarding the course of care and even personal notes to the patient. Medical staff is always busy, and if a patient is sleeping during a room visit, the nurse or doctor can write on the whiteboard if there are any updates or plans for tests, for example. Other times, nurses can write down when they visited if the patient was asleep, and when they will visit next so that when the patient wakes up, they know what to expect and when they will be checked on again.
Ensure Medical Staff Are on the Same Page
Another avenue for promoting good communications is using whiteboards in each patient room as this gives staff an easy method to communicate with one another. Because multiple staff members work with any given patient, and the course of care can change at any time, in addition to things being noted on a patient’s chart, staff may choose to leave notes to other employees of things that should be noticed—things like a change in mealtimes, for instance.
Add a Personal Touch to the Care You Offer
It’s a given that no one really enjoys being in a healthcare facility as a patient, so looking for ways to ease the stress of the situation can be key to keeping everyone in good spirits. Many people use whiteboards in healthcare facilities is to inject a bit of humor or friendliness into everyone’s day—little drawings, jokes, even simple greetings can brighten up a patient’s day. And because whiteboards can be customized with the healthcare facility’s name and logo, patients will connect the positive experience of their stay with the manner in which they were treated and communicated while there. Hospital stays may not always be the most pleasant experience of one’s life but there are ways to ease the stress of it—showing compassion and a personable bedside manner is just one way.
Learn more about whiteboards in healthcare facilities today, and find out of they’re right for your facility.