How to Behave During a Visit to a Hospital Patient

Patients in the hospital often look forward to visits from family and friends to break the tedium of the long day cooped up in one small room. Visitors can even speed recovery by cheering up those patients with only minor illnesses. For those patients looking at a long recovery time, periodic visits from their closest friends may be the highlight of their days.

Things You'll Need

• Small gift

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Instructions

• 1

  Check visiting hours. Most hospitals only allow visitation during the daytime, usually starting right before lunch and ending around 8 p.m. Depending on the severity of the illness, you may only be allowed to visit for a set length of time and visitors may be limited to a maximum of two at a time.

• 2

  Visit only when you are not sick. A patient in the hospital may have a reduced immunity to common viruses. Even if the patient you are visiting is not that ill, the other patients in the hospital might be.

• 3

  Leave young children at home. Little ones are usually too immature and have too short of an attention span to behave appropriately when visiting someone who is ill. If you must bring children, explain in advance what they can expect to happen and what you expect of them during the visit. Remember, little children are full of germs that could spread to people that are ill. The opposite is also true; your little ones could fall ill after visiting a hospital full of sick people.

• 4

  Find out the room number and floor before arriving at the hospital. The patient or a family member usually has this information, but you can also call the hospital and the receptionist can provide the information.

• 5

  Check in with the nurse on duty at the nurse's station upon arrival at the correct floor. They can alert you to important information about the patient, such as if they are awake or being seen by a doctor at that time.

• 6

  Go to the waiting room if the patient can't see you right away. If you haven't brought a magazine or book to keep you occupied, the waiting room usually has a small selection of reading material available.

• 7

  Bring a small gift for the patient. A magazine, puzzle book or popular novel are always good choices. If the patient is allowed regular food, you may want to bring a small, healthy snack. If you are close to the patient, you may bring personal items, such as the patient's favorite shampoo or other grooming and hygiene items, a sleeping garment, or slippers. If you're unsure of a suitable gift, the hospital gift shop always has a small selection.

• 8

  Do not bother the nurses and doctors with questions about the patient. Unless you are the significant other of the patient, it is not your business knowing the patient's medical information unless the patient volunteers the information themselves.

• 9

  Speak quietly. Other patients are sleeping or resting and should not be disturbed.

• 10

  Leave when your visiting time has passed. Notice if the patient seems tired and politely excuse yourself. You can visit another day to relieve the monotony for the patient, but they really need their rest to recover.