Inpatient Information

Settling In
Our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible during your inpatient stay. Your room includes an electronic bed, a nurse call button, a telephone and a color television. There is no charge for local calls. For long distance calls, please be prepared to call the operator with your calling card or credit card. Television service is free of charge and includes the major networks.

Hospitalist Program
Our hospitalist program is designed to improve and better coordinate the care you receive as an inpatient at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. A hospitalist is a physician who is dedicated to caring for patients who have been admitted to the hospital, and will work in concert with your primary care physician and specialists to ensure the best outcome for you as a patient. The program has allowed more patients to receive their care on-island rather than the mainland.

Nursing Care
Many of our nurses hold national certifications in their individual areas of expertise, such as critical care, oncology, obstetrics and emergency care. Registered nurses have advanced cardiac life support certification. Many have pediatric advanced life support certification, as well. Our nurses are committed to providing the community with personal, high-quality care.

Meals
Our Food Services Department provides nutritious and appetizing meals that follow your physician’s dietary recommendations.

A menu will be provided to you each morning that allows you to choose your food selections for the following day. Please complete your selections by 10:00 a.m. A member of our Food Services Department will come to your room each day to collect your menu and provide assistance with your selections. A registered dietician is available to answer any questions regarding your dietary restrictions and to address other nutritional concerns you may have.

Meals are served at the following times:

• Breakfast: 7:45 a.m.
• Lunch: 11:45 a.m.
• Dinner: 4:45 p.m.
• If you would like a hot or cold beverage or a snack, please ask your nurse.

Visitors may purchase food in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with lunch served from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Vending machines are also available on the first floor of the hospital, which are accessible 24 hours a day.

Personal Items
We recommend that you limit the number of valuable items you bring with you. If you wish to protect your valuables during your stay at NCH, they will be stored in the hospital safe.

Non-Smoking Campus
We are committed to providing the safest and healthiest environment for our patients, visitors and staff. For this reason, NCH is a non-smoking campus.

Latex-Free
NCH is a latex-free facility.

Going Home
Your health care team begins preparing for your discharge when you first arrive at NCH. Multi-disciplinary case conferences are available throughout your stay for the purpose of discharge planning. On the day of discharge, you will need to make arrangements for your trip home. The nursing or social work staff is available to help with logistics.

Before you go home, you will be given an instruction sheet detailing the results of your care at NCH. The sheet includes a medication schedule, activity limitations, special diet orders and other important information, all of which will be reviewed with you prior to discharge.

You are encouraged to ask any questions about your discharge plan. If you feel that you are not quite ready for discharge, you should communicate this with the nursing or social work staff.

Nantucket Cottage Hospital encourages patients to participate in the decision-making process of providing their care. Your questions and input are vital.