Preparing for hospital

There are different reasons you may need to go to hospital. These include if you have:

• an accident or medical emergency
• a planned admission, such as for an elective surgery
• an appointment with a specialist in the clinic.

Image credit: Depositphotos

You can have some things prepared in advance to make it easier even if you get sick suddenly and need to go to hospital.

• Your health passport(external link) – this has all your medical information written in it, including your next of kin details, any medicines you're taking, any allergies you may have, any support you will need while in hospital and your enduring power of attorney (EPOA) if you have one.
• A life tube(external link) – this is available from your local Age Concern branch. It's a small plastic cylinder that has a completed medical information sheet inside it in case you can't communicate. You keep it in your fridge and have a red sticker on the outside of the fridge. In the event of an emergency, police, fire or ambulance services are trained to look for life tubes.
• Update your Medical ID on your smartphone – both Android and Apple smartphones have features that allow your medical information to be readily available to you, first responders or your hospital care team. You can declare medical conditions, allergies and medicines you’re taking on your Medical ID so this information can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency. Learn more about this Medical ID feature on your smartphone(external link).
• Update Work and Income(external link) if you receive benefit payments and you’re going into hospital. If you are in hospital for a long period of time, it may affect your payments from Work and Income.
• Ask for time off work – if it’s likely you’ll be in hospital for some time or you’re having surgery, let your employer know as soon as possible. If you’re having surgery you may not be able to do any heavy lifting for a few weeks, so your employer may need to find someone to who can do this work for you.

If you have a planned admission and will be staying in the hospital, you will need to pack a bag. Make sure you have everything you need. 

Things you might want to take with you

• nightwear, pyjamas
• day clothes
• underwear
• slippers
• a small hand towel
• toiletries (toothbrush, hairbrush, razor)
• sanitary products, pads or incontinence products if you need to use these
• eye glasses or contact lenses
• mobile phone, charger and phone numbers of whānau members and friends
• any equipment you need to help you move (eg, a walking stick) or communicate (eg, a hearing aid)
• address book with important numbers
• a small amount of money (no more than $20)
• something to fill in your time, such as a book or magazine.

 
You should leave valuable items such as passports, jewellery and large amounts of money at home. 

If your operation or procedure is a day surgery, where you will be able to go home on the same day, you won't need to pack an overnight bag. You will still need your glasses, hearing aids, mobile phone and something to fill in time though. 

Hospital admission

Admission means going into hospital as an 'inpatient'. You may be admitted into the hospital for a day, overnight or even longer. 

If your admission is planned, your healthcare provider or specialist will write a referral letter to the hospital. You will then be contacted by the hospital to book in an admission date and time. The admissions team will organise your stay in the hospital. 

Read more about what will happen in hospital admissions. 

Day clinics and specialist services

These are outpatient clinics or services and may happen before or after your hospital admission or surgery. Usually, you will be referred by your healthcare provider or staff in the hospital, such as doctors in the emergency department. You will then be contacted by the clinic to schedule an appointment for you to go to the clinic. 

Sometimes, you may need to travel to another hospital for a particular service or clinic as not all hospitals provide the full range of specialist clinics

Surgery or operation

Surgery is also called an operation. You will need to attend a pre-operative assessment clinic if you're having a planned or elective surgery. You'll be asked questions about your health, medical history and home circumstances. Sometimes some tests, such as blood tests or X-rays, may be done.

Your doctor or anaesthetist will talk to you about anaesthetic options. A nurse will also explain what will happen on the day of your surgery, including when to stop eating and drinking and the time you need to come to the hospital.

This is your chance to find out as much as you can about what's involved in your surgery. It's a good idea to take along your partner or a support person to your appointments, so they know what's happening and can support you. Ask questions about what to expect during or after your surgery. 

Read more tips for preparing for surgery. 

On the day of your surgery:

• come to the hospital at the time given to you at the preoperative assessment clinic
• follow the instructions given to you at your pre-operative assessment clinic, such as not to eat or drink from a set time
• you may be asked to change into a hospital gown and remove objects such as glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or dentures
• a needle or cannula will be put into your arm while you are still awake, to give you fluids and medicines
• one of the hospital staff will bring you to the operating room when it's time for your operation. 

After your operation, you'll be transferred to the recovery area, where you will be monitored closely to make sure you're recovering well. 

Emergency department and unplanned admissions

If you become seriously unwell or have an accident, you're most likely to enter the hospital through the emergency department – either by ambulance or brought in by your whānau or friends. Once you arrive in the emergency department, a nurse will see and triage you (work out how urgently you need to be seen by a doctor).

If you're critically ill or injured, you may need to see a doctor first, instead of a nurse. Sometimes you may have to wait to see a doctor or a nurse, depending on how unwell you are and how busy the emergency department is. 

When you are in the emergency department, you may:

• be attached to different machines to monitor your vital signs, such as your blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels
• be seen by different healthcare providers, depending on the type of care you need
• need to have multiple blood tests, X-rays or scans to diagnose your condition. 

Once a doctor has seen you, there are 3 possible outcomes. These include:

• treating and discharging you so that you can leave the hospital
• admitting you to a ward for further treatment and monitoring – sometimes you may be transferred to a different place in the hospital to wait for a bed in the ward
• sending you home with follow-up at an outpatient clinic for further assessments.

Hospital staff will do their best to explain what's happening, so ask any questions you have about your condition or anything else you want to know.

There is support available to meet your needs while you are in the hospital. Not everyone has the same needs, but here are some of the types of support available in hospital or that you can talk about while you’re there for when you go home. 

Getting to hospital

• Social support to organise transport to get to your clinic, GP appointments or home from hospital. 

In hospital

• Access to a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter if you are Deaf or have impaired hearing.
• Access to an interpreter if English is not your first language – sometimes it's hard to get one at short notice, so let hospital staff know you need interpreter services as soon as you get to hospital.
• Mobility and wheelchair transport to help you move around the hospital.
• Nutritional support for following any dietary (food) requirements.
• St John provides volunteers who can listen, give information and support you in the emergency department, in the ward and in the community. Read more about the St John hospital services and community carers(external link).
• Cultural support – many public hospitals offer cultural support services for inpatients. These services can help you navigate the hospital system, clarify medical explanations of your illness and provide culturally safe tools such as karakia during your hospital stay. Ask your healthcare team for more information about what cultural support the hospital can provide for you. See the cultural support section below for examples of the cultural support provided in certain regions.
• You can also ask for female health specialists and support staff for your care.
• Spiritual support – most hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand have a chaplain service and you or your whānau can ask to talk to a chaplain. Read more about the hospital chaplaincy service(external link).

In preparation for going home

• You can ask for a written copy of the discussion and decisions made. 
• You can ask to be referred to a social worker to look at what support may be available for when you go home, or to coordinate a family meeting.
• If you are over 65 years of age you can ask the nursing staff to arrange a needs assessment for you. This is to find out what support you might need when you go home and which services are best able to support you. 
• If your admission was the result of an accident there may be ACC support that can be arranged if you need it once you get home.

Lakes

Manawa Pou (Whānau Support)(external link)
Manawa Ora (Whānau Support)(external link)

Southland

Pacific Island Nurse Service(external link)

Counties Manukau

Māori Health Provider Services(external link)

Central Auckland

Pacific Health Service – Te Toka Tumai(external link)
He Kāmaka Waiora Māori Health – Te Toka Tumai(external link)

Waitematā

Māori Health Services – He Kamaka Waiora(external link)
Malaga a le Pasifika(external link)  
Asian and Ethnic Health Services(external link)