Oxygen
Special regulations are in effect in areas where patients are receiving oxygen. Electrically operated equipment and aerosol products are not permitted in these areas. Smoking or tobacco use of any kind is not permitted on the hospital campus.

Medications
All medications you take while in the hospital are prescribed by your doctor, dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, and administered by a nurse. Patients are not permitted to administer their own drugs or keep personal medications at their bedside, except with physician orders. If you must bring your personal medications in to show your physician and nurse what you are taking, please have someone then take them home. While you are here, you will be given the same medicines from the hospital pharmacy (as your physician prescribes).

If you are an inpatient and would like to speak with a pharmacist about your medication therapy, you may call 1840 and ask the office personnel to connect you with the pharmacist.

Name Badges
All Blue Ridge Regional Hospital employees are required to wear an official name badge. If someone enters your room not wearing a name badge, ask to see the person’s badge. If he or she cannot show you proper identification, ring the nurses’ call bell.

Valuable or Lost Items
Please leave all credit cards, jewelry or valuables at home, and if you must have cash for incidentals, please keep only a small amount in your room. Make sure your car has been locked and valuables have been placed in the trunk. Limit your personal items from home and store your belongings carefully in your assigned room to help prevent loss. Your nurse can provide you with special containers for your glasses, dentures or hearing aids. To trace lost and found items, please ask your nurse.

Electrical Appliances
We discourage the use of personal electrical appliances brought from home such as curling irons, radios or hair dryers. All appliances should be UL approved. Ask your nurse to inspect them before using.

Standard Precautions
Infections can occur after many types of medical procedures. This is particularly true if you are having surgery. There are several things you can do to help prevent infections from developing in the hospital:

• Wash your hands carefully after handling any type of soiled material. This is especially important after you have gone to the bathroom.
• Since you are part of your healthcare team, do not be afraid to remind doctors and nurses about washing their hands before working with you.
• If you have an intravenous catheter, keep the skin around the dressing clean and dry.
• Tell your nurse promptly if the dressing works loose or gets wet.
• Likewise, if you have a dressing on a wound, let your nurse know promptly if it works loose or gets wet.
• If you have any type of catheter or drainage tube, let your nurse know promptly if it becomes loose or dislodged.
• If you have diabetes, be sure that you and your doctor discuss the best way to control your blood sugar before, during and after your hospital stay. High blood sugar increases the risk of infection noticeably.
• If you are overweight, losing weight will reduce the risk of infection following surgery.
• If you are a smoker, you should consider a smoking cessation program. This will reduce the chance of developing a lung infection while in the hospital and may also improve your healing abilities following surgery.
• Carefully follow your doctor’s instructions regarding breathing treatments and getting out of bed.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help, advice or sufficient pain medications!
• If possible, ask your friends and relatives not to visit if they themselves feel ill.

“Speak Out” if you have questions about your care
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is committed to your recovery while you are a patient at our facility. You will find a list of Patient Rights in a handbook in your room that clarifies what you can expect as a patient at BRRH. To help you have a safer stay at our organization, we ask that you consider the following suggestions.

• Be an active member of your healthcare team. This means taking part in every decision about your healthcare. Patients who are more involved in their care tend to get better results.
• Make sure your doctors know about every medicine you are taking. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbal medicines.
• Make sure your doctor knows about any allergies and adverse reactions you have had to medicines.
• When your doctor writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it. If you can’t read it, your pharmacist may not be able to either.
• Ask for information about your medicines in terms you can understand. What is the medicine for? What side effects are likely? Should I take this medicine with food or drink?
• Ask all healthcare workers who have direct contact with you whether they have washed their hands.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your care so that you fully understand your treatment plan and expected outcomes. You and your family and friends will be able to better facilitate your recovery.

Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are available on all nursing units, but getting in and out of them without assistance may be hazardous. Please ask for help from a member of our hospital staff.

Fire Drills
If a fire drill occurs while you are here, a staff member will shut your door. Please remain in your room with your visitors and do not become alarmed. If a true fire does occur, our staff will direct and assist you to the proper exit. The hospital is a fire-resistant building, and the staff is trained in fire protection.