Patient Guide

We are committed to your care.

Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.

Privacy Practices Patient Rights & Responsibilities Concerns About Your Care

Fast facts about your stay.

Support for Caregivers

We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.

Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective, and timely care.

What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:

What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care physician or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.

If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network

Facts About Your Stay

ATM

For your convenience, an ATM is located on the first level of the hospital near the emergency entrance.

Bedside Shift Report

We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change—about every 12 hours—your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day. Ask questions. The more you’re involved, the better and safer your care.

Bedside Technology

During your stay, you may see your doctors and nurses using computers or tablets. These tools help them care for you by providing around-the-clock monitoring, a variety of resources and quick communication with the rest of your healthcare team. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.

Café and Dining

Location: Basement level

Breakfast Hours:
All Week Days: 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Lunch Hours:
Daily: 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Subway
Location: Inside the cafeteria

Hours:
Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Visitors may use the dining room at any time. Due to dietary restrictions, patients may not be served in the cafeteria.

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE call button located on your handheld remote. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.

Cellphones & Video

During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At Swain Community Hospital, our staff are permitted to use phones for work-related activities, such as communicating with doctors or other care team members. There are many work related benefits of cellphones and other communication devices, including access to medical references, clinical tools and patient information.

Concerns About Your Care

Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, then contact the hospital patient advocate. You also have the right to file your complaint with either:

Harris and Swain Patient Experience Office: 828.586.7425

The North Carolina Division of Public Health:
5605 Six Forks Road
Raleigh, NC 27609
919.707.5000

Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Website: www.jointcommission.org, then click “Report patient safety event”

Sometimes a healthcare choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our medical ethics committee can help you and those who are here to support you make difficult decisions.

Electrical Appliances

For your safety, we reserve the right to inspect any electrical appliances brought into the hospital.

Fire Safety

We conduct fire drills from time to time. If you hear an alarm, stay where you are. In an actual emergency, hospital staff will tell you what to do.

Flowers

Flowers are delivered to patient rooms by individual florists. Please note that flowers are not allowed in Intensive Care Units.

Hearing Impaired

We have services available for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. If you need these services, please contact your nurse.

Hospital Safe for Valuables

Patients are encouraged to leave valuables, like jewelry or cash, at home or send them home with trusted support person. If this is not an option, valuables may be locked up in the hospital safe by Security at your request and returned at discharge. Weapons are not permitted and will be stored by security for the duration of your admission. Swain Community Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Hourly Rounding

Someone from your care team will visit you every hour during the day and every two hours at night to check on your comfort, help you change positions in bed, assist with trips to the bathroom, and make sure you can reach your phone, call bell, and personal items easily. Please notify nursing staff of any needs or concerns at this time. If you have a need between rounds, please utilize your call bell for assistance.

Housekeeping Services

Environmental Services staff will come around daily to make sure the surfaces in your room and bathroom are disinfected and clean. If you need assistance between daily cleaning visits, please notify your nurse or dial 4080 from your room telephone

Interpreters and Translation Services

Interpreter services are available for patients. Please contact your nurse for assistance.

Lost and Found

Swain Community Hospital Security manages Lost and Found items. Please ask a member of your care team if you need to speak to a member of the Security team to inquire about an item.

Mail

Mail received during admission will be delivered to the patient. All mail, excluding packages, received after discharge will be forwarded to the patient’s home. It will be the patient’s responsibility to pick up packages received after discharge. Outgoing mail may be taken to the nurses’ station or given to your attending nurse.

Medicines

Please do not bring any prescription or over-the-counter medicines to the hospital. Please do not self-administer any medications during your stay. All medicines you take in the hospital need to be prescribed, filled and given to you by hospital staff. Tell your doctor or provider about any medicines you regularly take. If it is determined that you need to take a medicine from home it will ordered, verified, and given to you by hospital staff. All medications not needed during your stay will be requested to be taken home by a support person or stored in the hospital safe until discharge.

Parking

Parking for visitors and family members is readily available in front of the hospital in any of the unmarked spaces. Visitors may use the main entrance of the hospital for access to the facility 24 hours a day.

Pastoral Care

If you would like a visit from the chaplain for spiritual care and comfort, please ask your nurse to contact the chaplain on call. The chapel is always open for prayer and meditation. It’s located on the first floor, near the registration area.

Patient Meals

A patient menu is Included in your welcome folder. The planned lunch and dinner options are listed by day of the week. If you wish to choose an alternative, please communicate directly with the Dietary team by dialing 4092 from your room phone. Dietary will be able to offer alternatives that align with your prescribed diet. If you have food allergies, intolerances, or preferences please notify the Dietary Team or nurse so we can best accommodate your needs. Please place your meal request by: 5:30 pm the prior day for breakfast, 11 am for lunch, and 4pm for dinner.

Personal Belongings and Valuables

Personal care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures can be stored in your bedside stand when not in use. Please do not put them on your bed or food tray to help avoid them being lost or damaged. Leave valuables like jewelry or cash at home or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. If this is not an option, valuables may be locked up in the hospital safe by Security at your request. Swain Community Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Public Restrooms

For everyone’s health and safety, we ask visitors not to use patient restrooms. Public restrooms are located in the lobby. Ask hospital staff to direct you to the nearest one.

Rapid Response Team

You can call a rapid response team to respond if your condition worsens and you do not get the immediate care you need. This response team can be activated by anyone at any location on campus. Ask a staff member to learn more.

Smoking

Given the serious health hazards of tobacco use, we have chosen to become a 100 percent tobacco-free campus. No smoking or tobacco products will be used while on Swain Community Hospital property, parking lots, associated buildings and vehicles. Patients and visitors are asked not to smoke during their hospital visit.

If You Smoke or Use Tobacco
While you are in the hospital, please do not suffer from nicotine withdrawal. You can receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other appropriate support during your hospital visit. Please ask your nurse for more information.

Telephone

All patient rooms have phones. To dial into the room please dial 828-488-4299. You will be prompted to enter 4 followed by the room number. To dial local, dial “9” followed by the number. To dial long distance, dial “91” followed by the area code.

TV

Each patient room has a television. Please be considerate of others by keeping the volume down and turning off your TV at bedtime. Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired. Ask a staff member if you have any questions on using your TV.

Your Room

When you are admitted, a private room will be assigned to you. The nursing staff will show you how to use your bed controls, tv remote and nurse call system. We will provide linens and personal hygiene items. Please let the nursing staff know if you have further needs.

Vending Machines

Here you can find beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Please utilize the elevator by the front lobby to access the vending machine and cafeteria.

Visiting Hours

Visiting hours are subject to change. Please ask your nurse for official hours during your stay.

To promote healing and safety and limit infection, some units may limit the number of visitors you can receive at one time.

General Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Note: Patients have the right to choose to receive visitors including family, friends or other individuals at any time during their stay.

Visiting Overnight
Overnight visitation (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) with a patient must be coordinated with the charge nurse and/or nurse manager and is only permitted under certain circumstances. If overnight visitation has been approved, please remain in the waiting room or the patient's room at all times during your overnight visit. We reserve the right to revoke overnight privileges.

Wifi

The HARR-GUEST wifi network is available for patients and guests to use. There is no password to access the network. Please note that you will need to complete an authentication when connecting to the network; a screen will appear to prompt authentication, allowing you to connect to the internet.