We recently had a visitor from Turkey, who spent two weeks learning about our hospital. His hospital is about to go through a Joint Commission International survey. And, whaddayaknow, he posted our survey results on his
new blog to give his folks an idea of what to expect.
Merhaba Paul,
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of hosting Ozcan during his visit to BIDMC. He came to Boston to learn from us however, when I travel to his hospital system in Turkey (Acibadem Healthcare Group), I take away far more than I give. For example, did you know that the real power of healing in Turkish culture comes from the family? Once hospitalized, it is quite typical for patients to be surrounded by their family members, taking shifts around the clock to provide a sense of "home" and safety for their loved ones. It's quite amazing to see and experience actually. And, their nurses are incredibly skilled at understanding and providing full family care. We wish Ozcan and his hospital the best of luck in preparing for their JCI visit!
Jo Ayoub
I think most of us who know anything about quality, staffing issues and conditions in US hospitals try as hard as we can to always have a family member with our loved ones when they are in a US hospital, Jo. But this comes more from a protective than a healing place, as it sounds is the case in Turkey.
ReplyDeleteThis raises an interesting cultural diversity issue: what does BIDMC do for patients whose family members want to stay around the clock with them? If tensions arise in shared rooms with people with different cultures and norms, how does BIDMC navigate those?
From our chief nursing officer:
ReplyDeleteWe do our best to support families who want to stay around the clock. This is routine in Women’s Health, where we have both all private rooms for post-partum patients and dedicated family rooms in the NICU. On the general floors it is more challenging. We don’t routinely allow families overnight in semi-private rooms out of concern for the privacy of the other patient. We do support those families to stay in other family waiting space. We work to triage tough patient care situations, and in particular end of life care, to private rooms so that family can stay with their loved ones in the room around the clock.
I'm immensely grateful for having had my wife with me many nights during my hospitalizations this year. I experienced the "source of healing" Jo talked about.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jo mentions above,
ReplyDeleteExcept that,
With concerned family members milling around,
They unintentionally get in the way of the treatment,
And Try Everything,
To smuggle in all the goodies which are verbotten.!
Needless to say their good intentions overhelmingly muck-up the efforts of both the hygiene & sanitation and the hospital administration.
But, No Doubts, their presence is very reassuring and really heart warming.
I was once 'Threatened' by a harried hospital administration in 1984 that I would have to be promptly discharged without any treatment if my 250 visitors were not immediately induced to clear out of the Casualty Ward.!
I work at the Floating Hospital. we have had family participation for years (more than the 23 I ahve been there) In pediatrics it is pretty standard that family can stay and I have never seen it cause a probelm that isnt easily taken care of..even in semiprivate rooms
ReplyDelete