S - Acute in patient psych in patient unit in a regular hospital. There are 4 units. Axis 1 unit, Axis 2 unit, geri psych and dementia unit, all separated. We also take psych with some medical issues.
B - Patients wear street clothing. We launder them. There is always issues with inappropriate clothing, or clothing with bugs, or dirty clothing. Also, patients clothing has been ruined in the washer (there is a washer on the unit and the techs wash the clothing). The biggest issue is, there have been patients that have cut on the unit with various things they find (like taking apart call bells). One girl was cutting for a week and no one knew because she had on long sleeves and long pants. Not the first time this has happened.
A - Our hospital is into patient centered care. Safety of the patients to me should come first. I understand dignity and all of that, but we are not long term care. Most of our patients stay 3-5 days, maybe 2 weeks.
R - We took a suggestion to practice council that patients should wear stringless patient gowns and patient pants that we have. Many did not like the idea (they have been there long and don't like change). I am wondering what other psych units like ours do.
Thanks for your help! sister zyprexa (name lovingly given to me by one of my top 10 loved patients!)
