While You Are Here
During your Stay at St. Luke's Warren Hospital
When You Arrive
Please register at the Admitting Office (Inpatient Registration), which is in the hallway to your
immediate left as you enter the main lobby. When the admission process is complete, you will
receive an identification wristband and will be escorted to your room.
While every effort will be made to assign you to accommodations of your preference, alternate
arrangements may be needed due to your physician's orders, a temporary shortage of beds, or
other reasons. All attempts will be made to keep inconveniences to you at a minimum.
Your Nursing Unit
When you arrive in your room, a nurse will check your vital signs, review your medical history
and current health problems, and perform a nursing assessment including checking your senses,
listening to your heart, lungs and abdomen, and checking your skin. The nurse will also review
your sleeping patterns, bowel habits, smoking history, and medications. Our staff will also help
you and your family prepare for home care after discharge, if necessary.
St. Luke's Warren Hospital's Nursing Department is dedicated to your comfort and well-being. At
the same time, we are preparing you to return to an independent life as soon as possible. You or
your family members may be asked to assist with your daily personal care and feeding to prepare
for your return home.
Meals
You will receive a daily visit by a member of our Food and Nutrition Services staff, who will
describe your meal choices for the day. Your choices will be based on the diet your physician
prescribes. Staff dietitians from the Food and Nutrition Services Department make regular
patient visits and are available to talk with you about your diet. Let your nurse or food
service host/hostess know if you would like to meet with a dietitian.
Visiting Hours
Visitors play an important role in maintaining your well-being. You may have two visitors at a
time. Family or friends age 12 or older are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
We ask that visits be limited to a half hour. General visiting hours are from 12:00 noon to 8:00
pm. Visiting hours for pediatric patients are 10:30 am to 8:00 pm. Parents may visit at any
time.
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ICU/CCU
- 11 am to 6 pm and 8 pm to 9 pm
- Only members of the immediate family may visit. We suggest limiting your visits to
15 minutes. Children under 12 are not permitted in the ICU/CCU area.
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Behavioral Health
- Monday through Friday 5:30 to 7 pm
- Weekends and holidays 12:30 to 2 pm and 5:30 to 7 pm
- Children under 18 are not permitted in the Behavioral Health unit. Patients may make
and receive phone calls during the hours of 8 to 9 am, 12 noon to 1 pm, 5 to 6 pm,
and 9 to 10 pm.
Smoking
For the health and well-being of our patients, visitors, and staff, Warren Hospital is a
tobacco-free campus. This means that all cigarettes and tobacco products must be extinguished
before entering St. Luke's Warren Hospital property. Smoking is not allowed in vehicles or in
our parking lots. This policy applies to everyone, including our patients and visitors. Thank
you for cooperating with our smoke-free policy.
For information on quitting smoking, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
offers Quitnet, a free online service, at nj.quitnet.com. You may also call New Jersey Quitnet
toll-free at 866-657-8677, or call the Warren Hospital Community Education Department at
908-859-8877.
Cell Phones
Cell phone usage in patient rooms and public waiting areas should be kept to a minimum and
conducted quietly. Cameras and phones with photography or video capabilities must be turned off
while on hospital premises. Exceptions may be granted only by Security or the Public Relations
office.
The Speak Up Program
Making health care safe is everyone's business. You can play a vital role in helping your
hospital stay safe by becoming an active, involved and informed member of your health care team.
St. Luke's Warren Hospital is one of many that have joined The Joint Commission's Speak Up
program. The program urges patients and their families to get involved in their care.
Speak Up provides simple advice on how you can make your care a positive experience. Research
shows that patients who take part in decisions about their health care are more likely to have
better outcomes.
- Speak up with questions or concerns. Tell the doctor or nurse if you think you're being
asked to take the wrong medication, if you don't understand something, if you're afraid for
your safety, or if you think staff may have confused you with another patient.
- Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Don't assume anything. Tell the nurse or doctor
if you think something is not right. Expect all personnel to introduce themselves. Watch to
see if your caregiver washes his or her hands. Be aware of the time that your medications
are due. If you are having surgery, make sure your caregiver, nurse and physician verify the
correct site with you on the day of the operation.
- Educate yourself about your diagnosis. Write down important facts. Gather information about
your illness. Read all medical forms carefully and understand them fully before you sign.
- Ask a family member or friend to be your advocate. Your advocate should ask questions that
you may not have thought of. Your advocate should speak for you if you are unable.
- Know what medications you take and why. Medication errors are the most common health care
mistakes. Ask about the medication's purpose and side effects. If you do not recognize a
medication, verify that it is for you. Ask your nurse to check your wrist band before giving
you medication. Whenever you receive a new medication, tell your doctors and nurses about
any of your medication allergies. If you are taking multiple medications, vitamins or
supplements, ask if it is safe to take those medications together.
- Participate in all decisions about your care. You are the center of the health care team.
Know who will be taking care of you, how long the treatment will last, and how you should
feel. Keep notes about past medical problems and hospitalizations to share with your health
care team. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion.
If you have any specific questions or concerns about these issues, discuss them first with your
physicians and nurses.
If, after that, you feel you need further assistance, or would like to share suggestions on ways
we might improve our services, please contact Warren Hospital's Director of Quality Management
at (908) 859-6749.
Patient Safety
Patient safety is a priority at Warren Hospital. Our Falls Prevention Program helps to ensure
that the risk of falls and accidents is as low as possible. If you have been identified as being
at risk of falling, you will have a yellow wrist band and signage on the door of your room. The
risk for falling may be high if you are disoriented or confused, dizzy, weak, or unsteady when
standing. If your doctor or nurse restricts you to bed or makes other requests as safety
precautions, please comply.
If you are at risk for injury, the staff may decide to use extra safety precautions, such as a
special alarm attached to a chair or bed to remind you to get up only with help.
There are times when a restraint is needed to ensure a patient's safety. An order from a
physician is required before a restraint can be used. It is Warren Hospital's policy to use the
least restrictive type of restraint required. Nurses regularly check patients in restraints to
make sure they are comfortable. The physician's order to continue restraints is reviewed at
least once a day by the doctor and the nurse. Either limb restraints or elbow immobilizers,
which prevent patients from pulling out medical tubes or devices, or vest restraints, which
prevent patients from climbing out of bed, may be used. Restraints are loosened regularly and
are removed as soon as it is safe to do so. Our goal is to preserve patient dignity while
providing a safe environment.
Your Test Results
Your physician will automatically receive a copy of your test results. If you or your guardian
also want to receive copies of your test results, Warren Hospital can provide this service to
you in accordance with state and federal regulations. These regulations require that we:
- Obtain a proper written consent from you or your guardian along with photo identification.
- Charge a fee. All New Jersey hospitals, including Warren Hospital, charge $10 plus one
dollar per page for copies of test results. Contact the Health Information Management office
at 908-859-6700, extension 2152 for more information.
- Provide for financial need. If the fee represents a financial hardship for you, our Patient
Financial Services Department can help you document financial need. Call the office at
908-859-6700, extension 2723.
Interpreter Services
Your doctor and other health care providers at Warren Hospital want to provide clear
communication with you during your stay. The following services are available; these same
interpreters and services will be provided to the patient's decision-maker if needed.
- For non-English speaking persons, telephone interpreter services or interpretation by a
hospital employee who speaks a second language, if available.
- For blind or visually impaired patients, hosital signs in Braille, and staff available to
read documents that require a patient's signature.
- For deaf or hard or hearing patients, qualified interpreter at no expense to the patient
during pre-scheduled visits and at all other times within a reasonable period of time after
a request is made. (You will be asked to sign a form documenting your needs.) Also,
telecommunication devices, television captioning, and amplified listening devices.
Compliance Hotline
Warren Hospital is committed to complying with all state and federal laws and regulations. If you
feel there is an issue that needs to be addressed, please call our compliance officer at
908-859-6808. Or you may call our toll-free hot line at 877-631-5718 if you wish to remain
anonymous.
The Collaborative Assessment Team
Warren Hospital has a Collaborative Assessment Team comprised of specially-trained medical
personnel to come to the patient's bedside in an emergency and help their healthcare team manage
the situation.
If you have a concern about your or your loved one's medical condition, please notify your nurse.
If you feel the nurse has not addressed your concern about changes in your or your loved one's
condition, dial "0" for the operator and ask for the nursing supervisor.
We hope that you never need the Collaborative Assessment Team; however, this valuable resource is
another way that St. Luke's Warren Hospital is partnering with patients and families to provide
the highest quality and safest care possible.