Patient Hospital Safety

Personal Safety & Rounding

The OSF Saint Clare team wants your stay to be a safe experience. A member of your care team will check in with you every hour.  Our staff will reposition you for comfort, review your pain, provide assistance to the bathroom and adjust your care plan as needed. If a patient is sleeping, we will not wake the patient unless carrying out a physician order. Upon admission, a care team member will demonstrate how the nurse "call button" works on the side of your bed. Bedside rails are up for your protection. Use the call button for assistance in moving rails, getting in and out of bed or a wheelchair. The door light system allows the team to provide safe and responsive care to you during your stay.

Identification & Color-Coded Wristbands

An identification bracelet is provided to you upon admission to the hospital. The bracelet provides staff members with information to enhance the delivery of safe patient care. Please leave both the ID and color-coded wristbands on during your stay. Enhancing the delivery of care and your safety is important to the OSF Saint Clare team. We use color-coded wristbands to reflect additional considerations for your care. Yellow – Fall Risk, Red – Allergy, Green – Latex Allergy, Pink – Limb Alert, Orange – 72-hour suspension of Do Not Resuscitate and Purple – Do Not Resuscitate. 

Medications

Please do not bring medication from home unless you are told to do so. However, it is helpful if you would bring a list of medications that you are taking at home. All medications prescribed by your physician are supplied from OSF Saint Clare Medial Center’s own pharmacy. Registered Pharmacists fill the prescriptions ordered by your doctor while you are a hospital patient. Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses will administer your medications.

Infection Control

The entire team of physicians to nurses to housekeepers, dietary and maintenance workers are taught the most effective ways to prevent infection. Everyone at OSF Saint Clare has a role in keeping infections as low as possible. You are part of your healthcare team. Please remember to wash your hands carefully before eating and after you have gone to the bathroom. Do not be afraid to remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands before caring for you. Please ask your friends and relatives not to visit you if they themselves feel ill to help us decrease the chance of spreading infection. Feel free ask your nurse any questions you may have.

Personal Appliances

For your safety, please do not bring personal portable appliances such as radios, hairdryers, electric razors or other electrically operated equipment to the hospital. Electric razors are provided for your use. Battery operated equipment is generally accepted.