Hospital Definition

A hospital is a residential facility that offers patients short and long-term medical care, including observational, diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services. The most popular type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergency room to deal with urgent health issues, including victims of fires and accidents and medical emergencies.

A district hospital is the main healthcare centre for its region. It has numerous beds for intensive care and extra beds for patients who need long-term care. Specialized hospitals can aid in reducing the cost of medical treatment. Specialized hospitals include psychiatric hospitals, children's hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, trauma centres, seniors' hospitals, etc. In a teaching hospital, patient care is provided with teaching for medical students.

Departments in hospital

The departments available in the hospital are the outpatient department (OPD), radiology department (x-ray), surgery department, nursing department, operation theatre complex (OT), physical medicine, paramedical department, dietary department, pharmacy department, and non-professional services, etc. The departments in the hospital are described below in detail:

1. Outpatient department (OPD)

Nowadays, many hospitals have an OPD. The benefit of OPD is that most of the investigative and therapeutic work may be done there without admitting the patient, reducing medical costs.

2. Admissions department

The patient must fill out and sign consent forms in the admitting department before being taken to a hospital unit. The information is typically gathered from a family member if the patient is in a serious condition.

3. Anaesthesia department

The medical professionals in this department give anaesthesia for procedures and operations. An anaesthetic is a drug or agent that causes a partial or total loss of sensation.

4. Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

ICU is the department of a hospital or healthcare facility dedicated to treating seriously ill or injured patients who need 24-hour care, close monitoring, and specialized drugs and equipment.

5. Medical department

The medical department provides many medical services. They include medicine, surgery, gynaecology, nuclear medicine, obstetrics, plastic surgery, paediatrics, eye, ENT, dentistry, orthopaedics, psychiatry, skin, VD, infectious disease, etc. A doctor who supervises the medical department is known as the medical superintendent.

6. Operation Theatre Complex (OT)

OT includes one or more operation theatres as well as other facilities. OT have four zones, the four zones of OT are the clean zone, the sterile zone, the outer zone, and the disposal zone. The OT must have adequate ventilation and lighting.

7. Pharmacy department

The other most important aspect of the medical field is the pharmacy. All medicines and drugs are selected, purchased, stored, and dispensed by the pharmacy department. A registered pharmacist manages the pharmacy department.

8. Dietary department

The dietary department provides the food to patients based on their requirements and a doctor's prescription.

Types of hospitals

1. General and acute care

The most well-known type of hospital is the general hospital, sometimes called an acute-care hospital. This hospital handles a wide range of diseases and injuries, and they typically have an emergency room to handle emergencies. Many hospitals, particularly in the USA and Canada, provide their ambulance service also. Large cities have general hospitals with various facilities and sizes.

General-service hospitals concentrate on providing essential and general services, such as:

• Surgery
• Pediatric services
• OB/GYN services
• Basic medical services

2. District hospital

A district hospital is the main healthcare provider in its area and has extra beds for long-term care and critical care. In California, the term "district hospital" refers to a medical facility established soon after World War II to solve a lack of hospital beds in numerous small areas.

3. Specialized hospital

Hospitals run by doctors specializing in one field of medicine or focusing on a certain patient group are known as specialized hospitals. The most popular specialized hospitals include cardiac, surgical, and orthopaedic hospitals.

4. Teaching hospital

Teaching hospital provides education for aspiring medical professionals like medical students and student nurses. This hospital also provides healthcare services to patients.

5. Clinic

A clinic is a health care institution that is small from a hospital. Clinics treat only outpatient patients.

Hospital staff

1. Doctors

During the patient's hospital stay, they may receive treatment from various doctors, including the consultant (specialist) and the registrar. Depending on their experience and medical specialization, doctors have a variety of roles and duties.

• Senior consultants: Senior consultants are specialists who check the patients.
• Registrars: Senior physicians, known as registrars. Registrars supervise residents, interns, and students.
• Interns: Interns have finished their education and are completing their final year in the medical field.
• Student doctors: Undergraduate medical students are referred to as student doctors.

2. Nurse

One of the most crucial departments in the hospital is the nursing department. Most of your medical care and treatment are handled by nurses. They evaluate, organize, and carry out your treatments and help to maintain your mental health. People frequently interact with the nurses assigned to their care. Nurses are often the first to notice a significant change in a patient's condition, and then nurses inform the attending physician about the change.

3. Physical therapists

Physical therapists treat patients who have function challenges, such as difficulties walking, changing positions, or getting from bed to chair.

4. Patient care technicians

Patient care technicians support nurses in providing care to patients. Their duties include moving individuals to and from a bed or wheelchair, giving comfort goods, helping individuals to walk, etc.

5. Other staff

The hospital needs a lot of planning and management to keep it running. During your hospital stay, you will see several support workers handling everything from laundry and food to patient transport and maintenance. Hospital support staff include ward clerks, porters, volunteers, etc.

6. Allied health professionals

Allied health experts offer services to aid in diagnosis and treatment. A few examples of allied health professionals are speech therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, and nutritionists.

7. Rapid response team

The rapid response team is a team of designated hospital staff (typically a physician, nurse, and respiratory therapist) who quickly visit a patient's hospital room if his condition is deteriorating, such as abnormal vital signs, breathing difficulties, chest pain, or indications of a stroke. The team may transfer the patient to the hospital's other section for monitoring or care after ordering tests or starting therapies to stabilize the patient's condition.

Beds in hospitals

We can't imagine a hospital without beds. Beds are necessary to admit patients. Beds are given to patients according to their conditions or diseases.

Types of beds:

1. Electric beds

One of the most modern types of beds available nowadays is the electric bed. This bed is easy to use than the manually operated bed. It is well known for providing more comfort to the patient. Such beds are frequently available at multi-speciality hospitals.

2. Gatch beds

Gatch beds are frequently found in older hospitals. It is more comfortable and doesn't require electricity.

3. Low air loss bed

A low air loss bed has unique cushions and an air blow system that blows air into the mattress sacs. This bed is specially made for hospital burn units and skin graft patients.

FAQs on hospital

1. What is a hospital pharmacy?

Answer:

A hospital pharmacy is a facility that stocks and provides medication to inpatients. Hospital pharmacies frequently stock a wider range of drugs than local drug stores, as well as more specialized and new drugs. Pharmacy services offered by hospitals to outpatients include both over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

2. List out types of beds in hospitals.

Answer:

Types of beds in the hospital:

Simple Beds:

• Closed Bed
• Simple Beds
• Open Bed

Special Beds:

• Blanket Bed
• Operation Bed
• Fracture Bed
• Amputation Bed
• Occupied Bed
• Cardiac Bed

3. List out services provided by the hospital.

Answer:

• Laboratory services.
• Emergency room services.
• Blood services.
• X-ray/radiology services.
• Short-term hospitalization.
• General and speciality surgical services.

4. List out types of Hospitals.

Answer:

• Acute hospitals
• District hospitals
• For-Profit hospitals
• Clinics
• Community hospitals
• Federal hospitals
• Teaching hospitals
• Free hospitals
• Speciality hospitals

5. Difference between hospital and clinic.

Answer:

6. List out specialized and auxiliary services offered by the hospital.

Answer:

• Pediatric speciality care
• Prescription services
• Good access to surgical specialists
• Home nursing services
• Nutritional counselling
• Family support services
• Financial services

7. List examples of speciality hospitals and oncology hospitals.

Answer:

• Women's hospitals
• Psychiatric hospitals
• Cardiac hospitals
• Children's hospitals
• Cancer treatment centres

8. List out categories of hospitals based on the source of revenue.

Answer:

Hospitals are divided into three categories based on the source of revenue:

• General hospitals
• Speciality hospital
• Government hospital

9. What is bed making?

Answer:

Bed-making is the skill of setting up an appropriate bed depending on the patient's condition by utilizing rational nursing concepts. A carefully prepared bed will aid the patient in feeling more relaxed. Based on the patient's situation and need, nurses set up hospital beds in various ways.