Restraints
Meadows Regional Medical Center strives
for a restraint free environment that
promotes and enhances the individual’s
rights and dignity. Family or significant
others provide valuable information
regarding comfort and security measures
for the guest. The best way to keep a guest
out of a restraining device is to surround
them with people they know and love. We
encourage families to visit us as often as
they can, and provide diversional activities
that have been known to calm the patient.
Comfort measures are routine aspects of
nursing care. These are situations in which
restraints may be used:
• Prevention of harm to self and others
• Safe completion of therapies and
treatments
• Promotion of personal safety of the
patient due to severe confusion.
The staff at Meadows Regional Medical
Center attempts to utilize the least
restrictive measures possible to maintain
safety. In the event that a restraining device
is considered necessary, a family member
or significant person will be informed. The
nurse may request that a family member or
significant other assist in the de-escalation
of anxiety and confusion by being present
at the bedside. If the anxiety or confusion
continues to present a safety concern, it
may become necessary to implement a
restraining device. Each guest’s situation
is viewed individually and restraining
devices are removed as soon as safety risks
are lessened. Guests are monitored and
assessed frequently. Comfort measures
are provided with position changes, fluids,
toileting, food, and circulatory checks on a
scheduled basis. If you have questions or
concerns, please discuss them with a nurse.
Fall Prevention
The nursing staff has the following
suggestions to help you avoid a fall during
your hospitalization:
• If the nurse has instructed you to call
for assistance before getting out of bed,
please do so.
• Put on slippers with nonskid soles while
walking.
• Ask for help if you feel weak, dizzy, or
light-headed when you need to get up.
• Use the call switch in the bathroom if you
become weak or need assistance back to
the bed.
• Notify the nursing staff if a spill occurs on
the floor.
• Ask to have objects such as bedside tables,
phone, and call lights within your easy
reach if you are not able to reach them.
• Never hesitate to use the nurse call system
for assistance.
• If the side rails on your bed are in the “up”
position, they are there for your protection
and to assist you in turning.
• Please do not try to get out of a
wheelchair by yourself.
Patient Safety
MRMC is committed to creating a culture of
safety that encourages the prevention and
reporting of errors to improve care. Hospital
leaders are actively involved in activities to
improve quality of care and communicate
with patients and families when problems
occur. MRMC participates in the national
Hospital Improvement Initiation Network
that is sponsored by Heath Research and
Educational Trust as part of CMS.
The more healthcare information you
have, the better you are at preventing errors
and taking care of yourself. You need to
ask your pharmacists, doctors, and nurses
about your illnesses. Find out all that you
can about your illness and the medications
you are taking. What you learn will help
protect you later. Your doctors, nurses, and
pharmacists work hard to keep you healthy,
but you are also responsible.
Error Prevention
Some of the innovative methods that
hospitals are implementing include:
• Computer technology and preprinted
forms are being used to make sure that
physician’s orders are not mistaken or
misinterpreted. Abbreviations that have
been identified as confusing and problem
prone are not used.
• Special identification is used to alert
the staff about a patient’s special
needs, allergies to medications or other
treatment products to prevent harmful
reactions.
• To prevent doctors from operating on the
wrong part of the body, patients are asked
to identify the site of surgery, along with
the site being marked.
• Checking the identification bracelet
to reliably identify the individual as the
person for whom the care, treatment, or
service is intended and to match the care,
treatment, or service to the individual.
Using two identifiers to properly identify a
patient when a caregiver is administering
medicine and blood, or drawing blood
samples.
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For Your Safety