Going to the hospital is always stressful, whether you want to be going or not. It is a scary place full of weird things and unknown people, not even counting that you are probably not going to be at your best at this time. Most of us are familiar with what happens when you go into a medical facility. But there are still some of us who have never experienced being admitted to a hospital at all, and this article is for them.
What to expect at a medical hospital
You will go to this hospital either as an emergency or for surgery, or because you have become too ill to be cared for at home. None of those options makes for a happy camper and any of those events is frightening.
When you finish in admitting, you will be wheeled up to a nursing floor where you will be settled into a medical bed (one that goes up and down and has side rails); you will be asked to wear a hospital gown during your stay; you will be shown how to use the nurse call button and the emergency button in the bathroom; you will have your own television with a remote and you will have a telephone on your side table. You will be poked and prodded at all hours by perfect strangers. These same strangers may even have to deal with your private areas during medical procedures. They will be courteous and considerate, but they are still strangers to you.
Staff will bring you water, meals, towels, etc. You will be monitored 24 hours a day and encouraged to follow the doctors orders. You will receive your scheduled medicine as well as any extra medicine from your assigned nurse, who is available to you through the call button. You will see your doctor daily, but your care will be administered by your nurse. In this hospital, everything is controlled by your doctor and determined by written orders of your doctor.
What to expect at a psychiatric hospital
You may enter this hospital willingly or unwillingly. To be admitted against your will, you will be deemed a danger to yourself or to others by a medical professional or a mental health officer.
Once admitted, you have all of your personal belongings taken away from you to be thoroughly checked for dangerous items. You will be asked to remove all of your clothes for an full assessment and to have those clothes checked, also. There will be numerous items that you normally need and use taken away from you and locked up.
You will be shown to your room with a bed bolted to the floor. This bed does not move at all and is designed to be too heavy to move. You will discover that your room is devoid of a television, telephone, or any type of call button. Your nurse will show you the day area, where groups are held, the area where meals are served, the medication room, and the nursing station. You will also be shown how to access clean linens and towels, gowns if you need them, personal hygiene items, and since your shoes probably will have been confiscated, you will be given nonslip socks for your feet.
You will be expected to take care of yourself to the best of your abilities. You will need to go to your staff for things you need or assistance in doing your laundry. You will be expected to know your medication regime and to approach your nurse for medications on the correct schedule. You will be expected to be out of your room during the day and to attend groups.
You will see your doctor daily as well as having an assigned Social Worker to help with aftercare needs. Your nurse will be assessing your mental status and your safety status constantly. The nurse will be available to talk with you if you become agitated, frightened, or if you have a specific need or problem. The care in this hospital is provided by a team of individuals, all working with you to facilitate your return home.
How are they similar?
Both hospitals are concerned with your health. Both hospitals have doctors, nurses, and various other professionals to assist you. Both hospitals are available 24 hours a day. Both hospitals help you get better and return to your life as quickly as possible.
How are they different?
Each hospital deals with a different aspect of the total person. A medical hospital deals mainly with the physical body and its systems. A psychiatric hospital deals with not only the mental status of the patient, but also with the social and economic issues surrounding the patient. The medical model deals with treating illness, so the medical facility is focused on treating symptoms of that illness. The psychiatric hospital also will deal with illness, but the focus is more on the whole person and the circumstances surrounding that person. At a psychiatric hospital you will get illness treated, but that is not the main focus. The main focus of a psychiatric hospital is your safety and the safety of others.
The last difference to be noted here is if you become physically ill during a psychiatric hospitalization there is a chance you may need to be transferred to a medical facility because there are no IV equipment, no oxygen, no monitors, no call lights, and no place for any procedures to take place on a psychiatric unit.
In conclusion, it should be evident that there are significant differences between these two types of hospitalizations. Both can be traumatic. Both can be necessary. But the similarities end there.
As a psychiatric nurse for many years, I have seen the effects on the families of living day to day with someone who has a mental illness. These illnesses affect the patients, but also their families and in some respects even their communities. We have an obligation to watch out for others, especially those unable to do so for themselves.
For up to date information about mental health and mental health issues in the news, please visit The Mental Health Minute
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