how was your hospital stay?

ok so this may seem weird to some people but i have never had to go to a hospital fo any reason other than to visit someone who has had a baby. so I want to know what your hospital stay was like? was it a good experience? were the nurses nice? did you sleep at all? what did you do in the hospital?


oh and for an update for many people *****ad my posts I am back on the wagon and doing great! no more taco bell for me ha ha ha. thank you everyone who is so supportive and helpful. i appreciate it so much!!!!

I really loved the staff and facilities at my hospital, so overall it was a good experience. I slept a lot the first day but after that it was hard because they wake you up so often to walk. And the last night I was ready to punch my nurse because instead of waking me up just every 4 hours to walk, she'd come in at a different time to do my vitals. I was like really? This couldn't happen when you woke me up to walk? I think that was just an airheaded nurse though, the rest of the staff was awesome.

the key to a great hospital stay is saying please and thank you. The more you gush over how nice a nurse is, the more they will want to be around you. Saying thank you, and how nice of you will get you alot more postitive attention.

I had no one else come to visit me at the hospital. My nurses were all I needed, or wanted. I brought a couple magaiznes, my reading glasses, chap stick, and a good book. When I was not walking, I sipped, slept, or read. When I needed pain meds, they brought it. When I asked for something for nausea, they brought it, and some hot tea and plenty of sympathy.

Mine was really good considering the rough shape I was in. The only problem I had with staff was the pm nurse. She had a lot of attitude about me not being able to overcome the mental obstical of using a bedpan. My bladder just didn't wanna let go in bed. She got really frustrated with me. But then she caught me when I fainted gettin outta bed, so were even.

 Woke up from surgery a little naseuated so they kept me in the transition ward (can't remember what they called it now) for a few extra hours.  Barely remember being there.  My room experience was fine.  Super attentive staff- so attentive it made it tough to sleep.  I was glad to go home, but the staff and facility was fantastic.  I also had a room directly across from the nurse's station so it was an unusually loud room.  

My hospital stay was great, it was in Mexico and the staff there really do take care of you. I had a few issues with the IV though, I think that was the most painful part lol I hate needles btw.

My hospital stay was awesome...my nurses were great...they loved me because I was up and walking within hours of my surgery.  Just made me feel better to be up.  I probably could have went home the same day but they thought it would have been better to crash there for the night.  They wanted to keep me on fluids through the intervenous...I was up every hour that night going to the bathroom!!! lol

Please don't be worried about your hospital stay. I have been in the hospital bunches of times, for myself, for family, and work. I do have a few tips and suggestions, to take with a grain of salt, of course.  And a sense of humor 



Be nice to your nurses. Say Thank You. Seriously - it goes a long way. Yes, we are nurses because we want to be, we like/love taking care of people, helping and supporting patients. What don't we like? Be treated as a waitress/maid/idiot. And don't snap your fingers at us. We are not dogs. Be nice to your nurse - bonus points if you get your family to bring the nurses a treat.  Any nurse on this forum who says they have never dealt with a rude patient works in Care-A-Lot.

Tell your nurse the truth about your pain level. Don't try to be brave. If your pain pump/pills are not enough, let your nurse know. It is much easier to get under control if it is a 6 than a 10!

LISTEN to the advice we give, if it makes sense, that is.  We have seen oodles of pts. -  we usually know more about recovery/symptoms/side-effects than some of the residents.

And most importantly, if you do get a nurse with an attitude, ask to speak to the charge nurse. Calmly explain what is going on and ask for a different nurse or ask not to be assigned to that nurse again. If that does not work, ask for the Nurse Manager, the Unit Manager or the Nursing Supervisor. I don't care how rude or foul-mouthed a patient is, most nurses never stoop to their level. To the patient's face, that is...

Best of luck to you!!! Can't wait to join you on the losers bench!!

 Boring and uneventful, which apparently is the best kind of hospital stay. What everyone else said about being nice to the nurses, even if the pain makes you want to rip someone's head off, is key. Little things, like "Do you have time to walk with me?", go a long way. (I said that a lot. I got bored). The nurses I had all were awesome. I loved the night charge nurse...she was this Russian woman, and I was so doped up the first night, between that and the accent I didn't understand a lick of what she said. Second night I was more 'with it' and she sat with me for awhile just talking, giving me advice (stretches for the shoulder pain, timing my liquid intake)... really made those sleepless night hours pass quickly. 

Going into the hospital, you might think, Oh, I can fill these hours with (list your hobbies and preferences here). While it's true you've got a lot of time in 2-3 days, the energy to do any of it might not be there. I had 2 puzzle books, a coloring book (one of my friends told her kid I was going into the hospital and he wanted to buy me a coloring book so I wouldn't "think about my boo boo's so much"), magazines, a book, and had my parents bring my Kindle and iPod every day. I think I colored for about 30 seconds one day - watched a LOT of TV until I was able to get up and walk laps by myself. So, maybe you'll feel like doing some of your hobbies, but don't stress if all you want to do is walk and rest. My sleep schedule was all nutted up for almost a week after leaving the hospital. I was told I slept most of the first day, was up most of the first night with the shoulder pain and discomfort from dry mouth, and napped on and off the next 2 days/1 night. By the second night I was pretty bored, and I had permission to walk by myself within sight of the nurse's station. I tallied a lot of laps on that floor (it was the gastro wing, not just post-ops, any stomach issues). It's great for your recovery, but walking also helps alleviate a LOT of the boredom when you get sick of TV or staring at the wall. 

This was my first 'adult' hospital stay - had my tonsils out when I was 11 but that was a one-night stay and I slept the whole time, pretty much. 

My hospital stay was as good as it could be considering I had surgery, not a weekend at Club Med. I don't remember recovery at all, I woke up in my room, which was great. My surgeon's group does the leak test in the OR, so I could have ice chips right away. I was in my room by six in the evening (I had a late afternoon surgery) and I was up and walking by ten and every four hours after that if not sooner. I got chocolate Unjury protein drink starting the next day, in one ounce cups, all I wanted, LOL. I had no nausea, none, ever, not even on the four hour car ride home. Good luck!