PRIVATE ROOMS USA vs UK

[cybernurse81]

just wondering how it works in the US, i have been talking to lots of american nurses on here and the thing that amazes me is the number of private rooms ur guys seem to have, in the hospital i work each ward has 36 beds, 4 f them being private rooms, the private rooms have one bed and a sink, thats it! i know it sounds pre historic! its one of the things i want to change about the NHS over here. Our private rooms are not always used well either, but because they are limited they are filled with patients with MRSA or the big one at the moment over here in england is C-diff! any views about this?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I work in an old hospital, and all our rooms are designed for two beds, except a few private rooms on each floor. Our floor has 15 rooms with two beds each, and five designed as private rooms. The private rooms each have a bath/shower more "in" the room than the semi-private ones, which are practically in the hallway, the way they are placed!

I can tell you I've noticed that patients who are in the private rooms often try to extend their stay, often succeeding because they know the system so well, and rather enjoy having their own room with tv and meal delivery, plus a servant to answer the call bell on their whim. I can't imagine if we had all private rooms; the hotel experience would just be too much IMHO.

The downside to the semi-privates is the HIPAA violations are extreme: how the heck can I protect anyone's medical privacy when there is another patient and his visitors three feet away behind a curtain?? Of course I can't.

[crissrn27, RN]

Several of you have mentioned they are making the hospital rooms more like hotel rooms........well, we have to stay competative, it is a business. If they are 2 hospitals and one has "hotel" rooms and one doesn't, which would you go to as a pt? On the other hand, sometimes I wish it was back to being all wards, cause you could see everyone at one time, and treat much quicker if something happens (of course this isn't going to happen again I doubt) I was in the ER (where I work) for a leg injury not to long ago and there was a kid next to me, maybe 3y/o, very sick, I could tell you all his H and P, labs, etc, cause no one was even attemping to be quiet about it..........they said they liked having staff in there so they wouldn't have to worry about HIPPA, lol. I don't have to worry about this much, the babies can't tell anyone what we say;)

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Several of you have mentioned they are making the hospital rooms more like hotel rooms........well, we have to stay competative, it is a business. If they are 2 hospitals and one has "hotel" rooms and one doesn't, which would you go to as a pt?

The one that is known for great care, good nurses, timely tests and MD responses. Where whatever is ailing me is dealt with WELL.

But hey, I guess I'm odd, LOL!

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I spent an absolutely horrible night is a semi- last September. I was in the B bed, IV going at 200/hr etc. The woman in A bed was a coke addict with pancreatitis. She was on the phone all night when she wasn't screaming for her IV pain med. Now 200 cc/hr necessitates MANY trips to the loo.

I finally drew up a chair into the hall and spent the rest of the night there.

Mentioning this the next morning to my nurse I got......we're building a new hospital. Things will be better there. HIPAA was definitely not observed there. (MAJOR medical center in my state).

[EarthChild1130]

My hospital has 4 private rooms on each floor except for our psych unit which has 3 private rooms, ICU which obviously has all private rooms (LOL), and L/D (I don't know about their setup but they're all private)...the rest are semi-private.

While I appreciate the privacy issues, the patients that have discussed the private vs. semi-private issue with me have, believe it or not, preferred semi-private rooms...the vast majority of the patients on my medical unit are elderly, and lonely, and they like having a roommate...of course, there are some people who would prefer a private room, and we accomodate them...

I dunno how I feel about it...depends on the day! lol

[jjjoy, LPN]

In regard to HIPAA and sharing patient information in semi-private rooms... the main purpose of HIPAA is to protect electronically transmitted patient information from being inappropriately accessed or sent out to a third party that the patient hasn't okay'd. It's never been okay to pass on patients' health information to uninvolved parties and HIPAA formalizes that policy nationwide.

HIPAA prohibits passing on private health information to uninvolved parties but it doesn't mean health personnel must make sure not a word about a patient is accidentally overheard by an uninvolved party. HIPPA allows that private health information may be discussed in situations where others may inadvertently overhear the information as long as reasonable measures are taken (eg talking only as loudly as necessary).