Nurse specialist Simon Waller talks about how preparing patients for hospital stays and good communication between patients and their healthcare team can reduce anxiety
Being admitted to hospital whether as an emergency or for planned treatment or investigations can be a source of stress and anxiety to both patients and their families.This is recognised by the team who will be taking care of you, and there are a number of ways in which this anxiety can be minimised.
If your admission to hospital is for planned treatment, you may have a pre-admission appointment to give you as much information as you need to prepare for your admission and to tell you what you can expect when you are discharged home. Sometimes written information can be provided to you for later reference. You should also be given details of a member of staff, such as a specialist nurse, who you can contact if you have any subsequent questions or worries. Often a stay in hospital will involve transfers between wards, for example from intensive care to a ward following surgery such as a myectomy (when heart muscle is taken away to remove an obstruction), or repair to or replacement of a valve in the heart. If such transfers are anticipated as part of your treatment, this should be explained to you before admission.
If your treatment includes a pre-admission appointment, visits to areas such as intensive care can sometimes be arranged so you will not be entirely unfamiliar with your surrroundings when such transfers occur. If you are admitted as an emergency, for example if you become unwell or are admitted following a clinic appointment or through a hospital's accident and emergency department, such preparation would not always be possible. However, by keeping you informed of what is happening and, where appropriate, liaising with your next of kin, anxiety can be reduced.
Where an admission to hospital is unforeseen, investigations may have to be conducted to evaluate your condition and to determine the most suitable course of treatment. This may result in a change to the management of your cardiomyopathy, such as an introduction of new medications or alterations in the regime you already have.
In some circumstances it may be necessary to recommend implantation of a device such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
If a change to your treatment is recommended:
Regardless of the reason for your admission, it can be quite daunting going home and losing the back-up of your medical team. So your medical team should ensure that sufficient support is available to you. This is particularly important if you are recovering from a surgical procedure. Support can come from family and friends, and help may also be available from social services and voluntary organisations until you have regained your independence.
In addition to this, the following should be provided to help ensure you have appropriate care and support after you have left hospital:
Stress and anxiety relating to an admission and discharge from hospital are understandable. By keeping you fully informed about what is happening and with thorough discharge planning, this can hopefully be minimised.
Dedicated to Damian McLoughlin, who died age 20 of cardiomyopathy. This site is supported by Damian's family and friends.
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