Safety & Security: Inova Fairfax Medical Campus

Patient safety is our top priority. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus encourages you and your family to be active participants in your care and safety during your stay with us. If you have any safety concerns, we urge you to report them to your doctor or nurse.

Personal identification and medical safety

• Each time staff enters your room; they will check your armband and ask your name and/or birth date to validate proper patient identification before medication administration, blood draws or other procedures.
• If you are undergoing surgery, you will be asked to participate in marking the surgical site.
• You will be asked to provide a list of your current medications, including dosage and frequency, for your doctor to review.
• Staff will educate you on your medications and possible adverse reactions.

Room safety and emergency procedures

• While in bed, we suggest you keep the top two side rails raised. The side rails are for your protection because hospital beds are usually higher than your bed at home. Do not try to lower or climb over your bed rails. If you need any assistance raising or lowering your side rails, please ask staff for help.
• Check with your nurse before using any electrical appliances. Only appliances with three-pronged plugs may be used in patient areas.
• As part of the hospital’s safety program, we conduct regular fire drills and tests of our alarm system. When the fire alarm system is activated, some doors will close automatically. In the event of an actual emergency, we will provide directions and assistance.

Fall risk: How we keep you safe from a fall

We assess your risk for falling at every shift. At-risk patients follow the following guidelines:

• Wear non-skid socks
• Wear a yellow arm band

Hospital staff will:

• Place signs on your door to alert all staff that you may need extra help.
• Use bed and chair alarms to alert us when an “at-risk” patient is trying to get up without assistance.
• Stay with you when you are toileting to make sure you’re safe at all times.

Protect yourself: How you can help reduce your risk for falling

Many patients are not aware that they are at risk for falling. Falls are a major health concern and most are preventable. How you can help reduce your risk for falling:

• Recognize your limitations while in the hospital
• Use your phone or call bell to get help if you need to:
  • Go to the bathroom
  • Move around your room
  • Get something that is out of reach

Personal property

Please do not keep any unnecessary personal property with you while you are a patient with us. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus will not accept responsibility for any loss of, or damage to, personal property during your hospital stay. Please follow these simple guidelines to ensure that your personal property is safe while you are in our care.

Keep your valuables safe!

Although many of our patient rooms include a safe which can be used for valuables, patients are encouraged to send their valuables home with their family, significant others or friends. If you are a family member of a patient who is unable to care for personal items due to a medical condition, we encourage you to take the items home to ensure their safety. If you are unable to send your valuables home, please ask a staff member to put them in the hospital safe. We will give you a receipt so that you may retrieve your items upon discharge.

Items that should NOT be kept in your hospital room include:

• Valuables such as your purse, wallet, cash, credit cards or jewelry
• Personal belongings including your clothing and shoes
• Electronics such as your cell phone, iPod and laptop computer
• Medications, unless approved by your physician

Dentures, glasses, hearing aids

If you have dentures, glasses or a hearing aid, please notify your nurse so that we may provide you with appropriate containers where you can store them in your bedside table when not in use. To prevent accidental disposal, never place these items on your food tray or wrap them in napkins or paper towels.

Your personal wheelchair, cane, walker or other device

If you have a personal wheelchair, cane, walker or other device to assist you with mobility, make sure that it is labeled with your name. This will help us to locate it if it is misplaced.

Patient confidentiality and release of information

The information desk staff and telephone operators provide patient room numbers and telephone numbers only for those patients who elect to be included in the directory. They do not provide personal information regarding your medical condition while in the hospital. Family and friends may obtain your room number or telephone number by calling ext. 63591.

If you do not want your name, room or telephone number released to outside callers, advise the patient registrar or your nurse. Choosing to be "unlisted" in the patient directory means you will not receive calls, flowers or mail while under that status.

Due to federal and state laws protecting patient privacy, please know that your personal medical information will only be released to those people you have designated to receive such information.

Tell us how we can help

Involvement in decisions about your own healthcare and maintaining good communication with those who are providing that care are essential for a positive hospital experience. Here are a few tips and resources:

• Learn the names of those taking care of you and what they are responsible for
• Keep a list of your questions and important information you think your healthcare team should know
• Let your doctors and staff know when you do not understand or cannot hear what they are saying to you
• Ask a family member or friend to be with you during discussions about your treatment plan. This person can help by taking notes, listening and asking important questions.

Providing the best patient experience continues to be a number one priority at Inova. Discharged patients are randomly selected to take a telephone patient satisfaction survey to assist us in measuring our patients’ experience while in the hospital. Thank you for participating in this survey.