[talaxandra]

Originally Posted by Rapheal

The only positive aspect is that usually the roomies look out for each other. Have you ever had 2 patients who were attention seeking room together? They tend to feed off each other and become a real nursing headache. I really dislike that situation.

My unit has a combo of double and single rooms (never referred to as private, or the privately-insured pts started talking about their coverage - if you were well enough to be in a provate hospital then we'd send you there), plus a four-bed bay that's great for either all oriented and normal patients, or fully-stroked out patients. Of course, sometimes we get a mix of each category!
I'm kind of conflicted. On the one hand, put two functional seizure patients together and they set each other off the entire shift (which, if they're on continuous EEG monitoring can make diagnosis that bit faster), and I pity the poor patient stuck with a garulous patient with an extended family.
On the other hand, I've been alerted by patients several times to problems with roommates. Just a couple of weeks ago, on nights, I got buzzed as soon as I'd sat down. I thought "I was just in there not five minutes ago" and sulked off to the room. The patient by the door said "He just vomited and now he's making a funny noise."
Three steps further into the room and I pull back the curtain to see pt two unconscious, flat on his back, with vomitus everywhere - big old seizure. As it happens, he died anyway, but at least I called a code within a minute of it happening,a nd he had a chance. If not for patient #1, I wouldn't have found him for another twenty minutes.

[BabyRN2Be]

Private rooms are so much better. Not only for the HIPAA component, but I'll echo the sentiments of others; if I'm sick enough to be hospitalized, I'm not in the mood to put up with anyone else's kvetching, TV, visitors, etc. I'm a very private person and I don't want my business to be shared with the other patient.

I've only had to deal with a semi-private room twice. One woman fancied herself very rich, a pillar of the community and demanded attention. I got sick of answering the phone for her - she had so many phone calls, and her visitors gave in to her delusions and treated me like a second class citizen. It was insane. After one night, I asked to be put in a private.

The second time I had to deal with it I had to put up with a woman who insisted that the TV be kept on all night. When she fell asleep (the snoring was another matter), I turned it off. Ten minutes later she woke up and turned it back on. Since it was on her side of the room, I had to put up with Jerry Springer and every talk show that was ever aired. I was so grateful when a private opened up the next day.

[starryx2]

Ok, I wanted to add in some more comments to the thread.

What about the younger patient, middle adulthood, that gets put in with an eldery patient, not necessarly confused, but definitly different needs, toilting ect. maybe a fall risk, and the younger patient begins to feel as though they are "babysitting" the other patient, not because they have to but because they feel they must.

How often are two patietns together, and one ends up having some type of infection that requires isolation.

Has any of these things happen to anybody?

Sharing of bathrooms? especially with a patient that dosent have the best bathroom habits.

Do you often find yourself not having enough room to work in because you are working in a double room?

Do you think you would have an easier time communicating with your patient, without another person and family next door between a thin cutrain?

Do you think any kind of medication errors would be avoided with a patient being in a private room vs. semi-private room?

Hmmm I dont know just wanting to know some more opinions on the subject...

[bethin]

Originally Posted by starryx2

Ok, I wanted to add in some more comments to the thread.

What about the younger patient, middle adulthood, that gets put in with an eldery patient, not necessarly confused, but definitly different needs, toilting ect. maybe a fall risk, and the younger patient begins to feel as though they are "babysitting" the other patient, not because they have to but because they feel they must.

How often are two patietns together, and one ends up having some type of infection that requires isolation.

Has any of these things happen to anybody?

Sharing of bathrooms? especially with a patient that dosent have the best bathroom habits.

Do you often find yourself not having enough room to work in because you are working in a double room?

Do you think you would have an easier time communicating with your patient, without another person and family next door between a thin cutrain?

Do you think any kind of medication errors would be avoided with a patient being in a private room vs. semi-private room?

Hmmm I dont know just wanting to know some more opinions on the subject...

I know this thread is old, but I couldn't resist.

I've been a pt more times than I can count. With Crohn's and UC, it's a given that I'll be admitted once or twice a year. I have been put in with an elderly pt who climbed out of bed. Thinking I was at work (pt on the same floor where I work) I'd get out of bed to help her, woozy on phenergan and pain meds. I had a rommate who walked naked into the bathroom and washed her hair in the sink - the bathroom door was 3 feet from the foot of my bed. This is also the same lady who was talking to SO on the phone and told her/him all about her roommate's health problems. Also comes up to me in public to talk to me and discuss it. I've been throwing up with 3 visitors gawking at me, saying how my retching makes them sick......oh, excuse me, I must stop if that's the case.

Had a pt who was dying of cancer. Had not told her family as they hadn't arrived yet. Roommate told them as soon as they walked into the room. Had a pt who coded and the roommate would come back in the room and yell at us for trying to save him - we had wheeled the pt to an empty room.

Ok, I feel better.

[starryx2]

oh yeah,


I forgot to add to my little addtion,

what about the dying patient, or very very sick not doing very well patient, with the patient and family and patient next door, im sure that is very uplifting while in the hospital setting,
and im sure it does wonderes when there is a code or the patient passes on, that has to really make the next door patient feel good.

PRIVATE ROOMS!!!!
JACHO needs to make a recommendation ASAP!!!!

[nurse-to-be1000]

Originally Posted by mwcia12

I must admit, I had nothing but contempt for people who demanded a private room. I judged them to be elitist snobs and they annoyed the hell out of me. Then Karma intervened. I had a severe case of peritionitis from a burst appendix (my fault, I sat on it for 24 hours before going to the ER.) Unfortunately I had recurrent bouts of obstruction from the adhesions, and each time they admitted me I demanded a private room. I had become one of "them" I must say though, why don't hospitals with semi privates provide 2 TV sets, one for each patient?

I know my local hospital has very few semi-private rooms, like two per wing and each patient gets their own tv. It is a surprise that semis or wards are still allowed with all the talk about HIPPA. What I never understand is how one hospital will charge a patient for tv and another won't.

Also as others have noted it is tough when two patients are in for diff reasons or have a wide diff in age. I was admitted to a rehab hosptial fully mobile and was going to be given a roommate who had to have something over the toilet so she could go easily but what about me? I know the nurses thought I was a major pain in the butt within the first hour but on the other hand it was the hospital stay from hell and I pitttied any of the patients who didn't have their facilities about them or family watching them.

[canoehead]

I know it's not politically correct but I like all the 8 and 16 bed wards set up in a circle with nurses in the middle. All those little old ladies were support and entertainment for each other. They looked out for each other, and just by virtue of seeing all the other patients they weren't left to stew in their own misery. Peer pressure confined all but the most determined attention seekers, and if one fell or couldn't reach a call bell the entire ward would light up with other seeking help.

Hey, I know privacy goes right out the window on those wards, but as far as safety and moral support you can't beat a gaggle of women. Several times as a student, and also when my mom was in hospital the patients, or visiting families were able to put the brakes on abusive or neglectful behavior by medical or nursing staff.

[jjjoy]

I agree with Canoehead that there are pros and cons to any set up. Imagine how much less walking there would be if most of your patients were in one room?! Basic assessments (unlabored breathing, color good, etc) would just be a matter of course as you'd see each patient much more often in the course of providing care for others. And if you have more than 2 patients/room, it would be easier for the other patients to get another to curb their noise level. Plus the nurse would be in the room more often.

How about keep the private rooms for those with communicable diseases and those whose conditions would demand a private bathroom?

Well, most new hospital construction in the US have private rooms anyway. Private rooms definitely have many advantages. But there are some benefits to shared rooms as well.

[Anjann]

As both the patient and now the nurse, I honestly feel that private rooms are the natural evolution in inpatient hospital care. I think it cuts down on hospital-transmitted infections to some degree.

When I was sick I couldn't get comfortable for more than 20 minutes at a time the way they were running the IV, and there was no way I could do the pee-pee dance while waiting for a Crohne's patient to get out of the bathroom.

When my sister had her baby, they lady in the bed beside her had 12 family members in the room talking very loudly all day running around the room, getting up in the bed with her and playing with the phone and medical equipment, and the baby never stopped screaming from the minute it was born because the mother didn't know she was supposed to have been breastfeeding because she did not inform the hospital that she did not understand english and the baby had received no nourishment from the mother for 2 days. So my sister left the hospital early. It was just too ridiculous to actually pay another day for that circus.

HIPPA being the biggest reason, I don't want pt's and their family members listening in on my pt's conversation. Also, I find that my patients are much more comfortable when they have their own space, no one blaring the t.v., talking on the phone, or hollering all night, and they have the use of their own bathroom.

I also feel more comfortable as a nurse when I am in the room alone with that patient because they know they are getting individualized attention with their privacy intact. They tend to open up more and I don't have the patient next to them interrupting my assessment to ask me for more butter for their bread! I can do a full assessment, ask questions and give answers (and meds)freely without worry about the nosy neighbor in the next bed who might actually know what AZT is used for and tell all of his family about it.

That is just my two cents... but it might only be worth a penny!

[TalldiNY]

You answered your own question. Research TCAB rooms. They are the latest innovation. Unreality floats like the Titanic in nursing. It's unsinkable and it sinks.
Ilove coffee