feelings about double rooms

[starryx2]

I was curious to see how everyone feels about double occupancy in hospital rooms. I believe that single room are the best for many reasons.

1. The patient is not bothered by other patients visitors/TV

2. It is cleaner, patients have their own bathrooms.

3. Privacy is much easier to uphold.

4. Nurses are more likely to wash their hands between patients.

5. Medication errors and other errors for that matter are more easily avoided.

6. Easier to make the patient comfortable in aspects to temparture in the room, lighting... ect.

I mean i could go on and on about why i feel this way. Im sure that it is most likely that money is the factor in why there are double occupancy in hospital room which is very sad to say. How do you feel about it?????

[heart queen]

A recent run of c diff and MRSA. you never know who's infected. BP cuffs, you accidently touch B bed without washing hands , the tech taking vitals does not wash hands in between each patient... it all can and does happen. I hate doubles due to loss of privacy and nosocomial infections.

... here with ya, knee slapping and all

[SharkLPN]

Hate our semi-private rooms (if 'semi-private' isn't the biggest oxymoron in the world...). I'm only slightly surprized that they're still allowed at all, seeing how anal we all have to be now because of HIPPA. How can just possibly review your pts plan of care and needs confidentially when their roomie is 5 feet away with a thin curtain between you? However, if we made my unit all private rooms, our census would drop from 31 to 22, and you know the hospital isn't going to give up 9 beds and lose the money generated from them.

[aurora_borealis]

I used to work on a unit that playing "musical beds" was nearly a daily event. Our privates were for airborne or GI infections. More often than not we had to make room for a new patient who needed isolation, hence we had to move patients who were no longer infectious to a semi-private room. Oddly, most were pretty cool about it. We also told them in advance that this was always a possibility, so it came as no surprise. 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?

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I konda miss the old days when we had Wards

not rooms

[Repat]

I had two children and a few surgeries in Britain. The only time I wanted a private room was when I had the babies - being up all night with your own is one thing, but being up all night with 6 or 8 others is enough! A couple of times I had to have a private room due to my condition, and I was so lonely! The first time I was admitted to a general ward, with 10-12 beds lined up, I was horrified. Howeer, it was a great experience. All who were ambulatory ate together in the dining area, where we could all moan together. Those who wereconfined to bed were usually close enough that they could hear and join in. Just think of all our elderly patients who want nothing more than for someone to sit with them. Or those we have to sit at the nurses' station to keep them safe. There were always private consultation rooms if someone needed to speak to their health care team in private. I never thought I would say this, but the benefits outweighed the negatives.

[crankyasanoldma]

Our rooms are all private. Sometimes I float to a floor that has a couple of shared rooms (but mostly privates). I don't care for shared rooms as I prefer privacy both for myself and my patients. Who wants to share a room with a stranger when they are feeling badly? Not me.

[SmilingBluEyes]

In the USA, semi-private rooms are by their very nature, HIPAA violations in the making. At least IMO. There is NO way to maintain total privacy in compliance with HIPAA in this situation, what with the other patient AND his/her family around. I was hospitalized in January for major surgery related to a pregnancy loss and I remember my roommate and her family telling me they were sorry for my loss. I had never said a word to them. See what I mean?

[susanmary]

:)

[webbiedebbie]

Unfortunately, we have patients who think they can get a private room if they request it. It just doesn't happen if our floor is full. I work postpartum and the bathrooms can get pretty disgusting. I know I wouldn't want to share a bathroom with someone who is bleeding all over everthing. But our unit is not going to lose a "paying bed" to go private all the way.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Just cause you have good insurance, it will NOT ensure you a private room where semi private rooms exist. IF all that is left is a bed in a semiprivate room you will have a roommate. That is a guarantee. Unless and until a hospital goes all private there are no guarantees when the floor census is high. Like said before, your wishes for privacy won't matter when the hospital needs to fill a bed. I still wonder how HIPAA regulations are being met in these situations. It's very hard, if not impossible, to comply with the use of semi-private rooms.

[nialloh, RN]

For the most part, I favor private rooms. However, there are some patients who do better in a double/semiprivate room. I've had many patients who were actually good for each other and helped each other -- wonderful to see.

I have to agree, we often put confused pt's together as it often keeps them quiet, they just respond better with company.