Inpatient Information

We want to be sure your pain is under control and your needs are being met. To help with this, your nurse and nursing aide will check on you each hour of the day and every two hours during the night. We’ll also make sure the items you need are within reach, so you don’t have to get up and risk a fall. 

The large red button on your call light as well as the red nurse button on your bed will send a call to the nurses’ station. When we answer, be sure to tell us exactly what’s going on so we can understand the urgency of your need.

Nurses share patient information with only family members who have the four-digit patient identification number (PIN). This helps protect our patients’ privacy and complies with federal regulations. This PIN is given to the patient or the next of kin on admission to the hospital and will be requested when calling for information or requesting visitation. Please choose a family spokesperson to check in. By minimizing how many people call, our team has more time to focus on the patient.

You have your own personal phone right in your room. A couple of tips: 

• Dial 9 first to reach a phone number outside of the hospital 
• Dial hospital extensions directly — such as dialing 16411 to reach our dining services. 

We want you to be as comfortable as possible in your bed, so make use of the controls on each side of the bedrails. Head up, head down, knees up, knees down — whatever feels best to you! 

Your room’s TV remote control gives you access to cable service. If you’d like a channel guide, just ask us.

Meals are served from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Your doctor will decide if you have any special dietary restrictions. If you have your own requests, please let us know! Beyond that, you’re welcome to order room service by dialing extension 16411. 

Your guests may get hungry too, so make sure they know they can visit Garden Café on the lower level or try the vending machines by the Emergency Department waiting area.

We know patients who are supported by loved ones heal the best and fastest. That’s why we welcome your visitors anytime, as long as they don’t disrupt your care or other patients’ rest. If you want a family member to stay the night with you, we will do our best to find a recliner or a cot. We ask all our visitors to understand how important handwashing is in reducing the risk of infection — for you and for them. 

We are required to perform handwashing before and after your care. Your room has its own sink and foam dispenser, so feel free to remind your visitors and staff to wash their hands if they miss this important step. Together we can greatly reduce your risk of acquiring an infection while in the hospital.

Family support is important for recovery. We encourage visiting, but only for short periods to make sure the patient gets plenty of rest and we can make sure they get the care they need. Visits can be coordinated with the patient’s nurse. 

Here are some additional visiting and patient guidelines: 

• To protect patient confidentiality, visiting is discouraged while our nurses change shifts between 6:45 and 8:15, both morning and evening. We need time to privately discuss each patient’s condition as we transfer care. 
• Visitors must call from the hallway phone and give the PIN number to gain permission to enter the ICU. 
• Visitors may be limited based on the patient’s condition as well as hospital-wide visitor restrictions. 
• Children under 12 are not routinely allowed to visit. Please keep your cell phone in silent mode. 
• Do not share pictures or information on social media about the patient. This is a violation of their rights as a patient and against the law. 
• Patients in the ICU only need basic toiletries, so please take all other belongings and valuables home due to limited storage space. 
• Fresh flowers and plants are not allowed in the ICU to reduce infection risks

Almost nothing feels as good as freshening up while you’re in the hospital. That’s why we’ll help you with a bed bath or shower each day. We also have personal care items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and shampoo on hand for you. 

If you have any valuables (cell phone, dentures, glasses, etc.) with you when you arrive, please let your nurse know. If you’ve brought any medications from home, we’ll keep them safely locked in your personal medication drawer for you until you’re discharged.

Your rest is a huge part of your healing experience. We want to protect your rest, even while we take care of your important health needs during the night. With that in mind, here’s how a typical night looks at Adventist Health Portland: 

• Between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., your night team will come by to meet you and answer any questions you have. We’ll take your vital signs while we say hello and then come by every two hours during the night. 
• Medications you’ll need before bedtime are usually given between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Some medications you’ll have to take during the night — we’ll keep track for you. 
• We will take your vitals and assess your pain and any concerns at midnight and 4 a.m. It’s an important hospital practice to help you stay safe and comfortable. 
• Our wonderful lab team will come by between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. so they can take your blood and process it in time for your doctor to review the results and plan your care for the day. 
• Our care is tailored to your specific medical needs, so we may have to check on you more often, while still doing our best to help you get the rest you need. 

We know how important your rest is, and we hate to interrupt it. Please know we only come by during the night when necessary to provide you with the best healing care we can.

There are many reasons falls take place. Some of the most common include: 

• Recent illness 
• Recent surgery 
• Urgent need to go to the bathroom 
• Confusion 
• Taking multiple medications daily, especially if they cause drowsiness or a decrease in blood pressure 
• Unfamiliar environment 
• Connection to lines and tubes

A fall can result in serious injury to you. Patients most often fall because they don’t think they will. 

DO

• Ask the hospital team for assistance every time you need to: 
  • Get out of bed 
  • Reach for something 
  • Get dressed 
  • Get off the toilet, or do a similar activity 
• Call early to get help 

DON’T

• Get off the bed alone 
• Overestimate your abilities 
• Wait until the last minute to press the call light

Together we can reduce the risk of falls and fall-related injuries. This goal starts with understanding fall-related facts: 

• Patients in the hospital are weaker than usual because of their illness or injury. They often do not understand their physical limitations. 
• Falls are the number one preventable threat to patient safety in the hospital setting. 
• Falls are the number one preventable cause of head injuries and broken hips. 
• 25% of older adults who break their hips have to leave their homes because they do not fully recover. 

“No one potties alone” may sound silly, but it works to prevent falls and injuries from falls. Remind your loved one to use their call light if they need to use the restroom.

You have decided to partner with the hospital staff to keep your loved one safe while they are in the hospital. Your loved one will benefit greatly from having some family close by. Here are some important rules to follow: 

• Watch your loved one very closely, even if they are in the bed. They may behave very differently than you are used to. They may be impulsive and may not understand their limitations. 
• Let the nursing staff know if you will be leaving your loved one alone. 
• Call the nursing staff for assistance at any time. 
• Do not get your loved one out of the bed or chair by yourself. The staff are trained in the best ways to move the patients to prevent injuries to them.