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Why Hospitals Aren't Restful Places

While Jess was in the hospital, I was reminded just how little rest a person gets while they’re in there. There’s people running in and out all day, and off and on during the night, too. One day I decided I’d just write down every time someone came in the room. I included phone calls because although technically no one came to the room in person, it’s still an interruption to getting any rest. So here’s the list:

4:00am Lab tech draws blood
5:00am Tech in to take vital signs
5:30am Tech - Bath Time
7:00am Tech in to take vital signs
7:05am Food service brings breakfast
8:00am Nurse
8:10am Cleaning lady
8:15am Respiratory Therapy
8:20am Nurse in with pain pills
8:25am Visitor #1
8:30am Doctor (Ortho Surgeon)
8:40am Doctor (Internist)
8:45am Food service picks up tray
9:00am To Physical Therapy
9:30am Back From Therapy
9:45am Tech in to Change Sheets
10:00am Phone Call #1 - from friend
10:15am Nurse in with morning meds
10:30am Nurse in to change dressing
10:50am Visitor #2
11:00am Food service brings lunch
11:15am Lab tech draws blood
11:50am Food service brings menu
12:00pm Tech in to take vital signs
12:30pm Visitor #3
12:35pm Phone call #2 – insurance
12:45pm Phone call #3 - from friend
12:50pm Food service picks up tray
1:10pm Visitor #4
2:00pm Visitor #5
2:30pm Representative from Health South
3:00pm To Physical Therapy
3:30pm Back from Therapy
4:00pm Nurse in with meds
4:16pm Nurses in to start blood
4:20pm Visitor #6
4:30pm Visitors #7 and #8
4:35pm Physical Therapist
4:40pm Tech in to take vital signs
4:45pm Food service brings supper
5:11pm Nurse brings meds
5:15pm Phone call #4 – from friend
5:25pm Visitor # 9
5:45pm Phone call #5 – from friend
6:02pm Phone call #6 – from friend
6:05pm Volunteer delivers flowers
6:10pm Nurse
6:14pm Phone call #7 – from friend
6:30pm Tech in to take vital signs
6:33pm Nurse in with more blood
6:35pm Food service in to pick up tray
7:00pm Nurse
7:15pm Nurse brings meds
7:25pm Nurse
10:00pm Nurse
10:15pm Nurse
10:30pm Nurse

The thing is, I’m sure I missed writing down a few times people were in, like checking on the blood running in or other stuff. But even at that, look at these totals for one day:


Times In/Person
2 Doctors
2 Lab Tech
7 Tech for Patient Care
7 Food Service
7 Miscellaneous People
7 Phone Calls
9 Visitors
15 Nurses

Like I said, I’m sure the nurses were in there more times than I wrote down, and probably the techs, too. But add it up, and that’s 56 times there was someone who came in the room in person or by phone. If you average out the busiest times between 7am and 7pm, it's about one person every 15 minutes!!! And there was another day when he had even more than 9 visitors, so you can imagine!

No wonder you can’t get any rest in a hospital!