Safety information - during your stay

Fire drills

For your protection, UK Hospital has regular fire drills. If you hear "green grass" announced during your stay, do not be alarmed. Remain in your room and keep the door closed. Do not use the elevators.

Safety rules

All of our facilities are designed for your safety. They meet or exceed all federal and state safety regulations. Our staff has been trained to assist and protect you should an emergency occur.

Safety in Your Room:  

• Any time, day or night, please call a nurse for assistance rather than doing anything that might result in an accident.
• Keep the bed rails up at all times while you are in the bed.
• Abide by all visitor regulations.
• For your safety, home appliances are not allowed in the hospital. This includes hair dryers, curling irons, coffee pots, etc.

Safety in the hospital:  

• Should you become ill while out of your room, simply stop any hospital staff member and ask for help. All staff members are required to wear an I.D. badge.
• In compliance with Kentucky state law, no person shall carry or maintain a weapon on hospital grounds.

Your health care team 

Physicians  

UK Hospital is part of an academic medical center. A team of health care professionals will take care of you, led by an "attending" physician, who is in charge of your care. The doctors, including the "attending," may rotate on and off your care. In other words, the residents and your "attending" may change during your stay. Each doctor on your team contributes to your care. Physicians may be referred to as a(n):

• Attending: Attending physicians are faculty members of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine who are responsible for leading and supervising your care team. The physician has completed medical school and three to nine years of post-medical school training in a specialty.
• Resident: Resident physicians have completed medical school and are licensed to practice medicine. These physicians have completed one or two years of further training since medical school. Your resident attends to you under the direction of your attending physician.
• Fellow: Fellows are physicians who have completed medical school and 3 to 5 years of post-graduate training in a specialty and are licensed to practice medicine. They are pursuing additional training in a particular subspecialty. A fellow may see you under the direction of the attending physician.
• Intern: Intern physicians have completed medical school and are in their first year of training. Your intern will be involved in your care under the direction of your attending physician.
• Medical Student: Medical students have completed their undergraduate education and are currently in their third or fourth year of medical school. These students will become physicians. The medical student will be involved in your care under the supervision of an attending physician.
• Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner: These are professionals who have trained in the health care field and are certified by their professional organization and are licensed to practice medicine. They work under the direct supervision of physicians.
• Your nursing staff:  UK Hospital has been awarded Magnet status, which identifies excellence in nursing services. Nurses can help communicate your needs to your doctors and other team members and tell you about your medications, in-hospital treatment, and post-hospital home care.
• Pharmacists:  Although you may not meet the Hospital pharmacists, they're important members of your health care team, preparing medication and monitoring drug therapy for effectiveness, potential side effects, allergies, and possible food and drug interactions.
• Other personnel:  During your stay at UK Hospital, other health care professionals may visit you. In addition, UK Hospital consists of many other employees such as accountants, engineers, administrative assistants and food service staff who contribute to your overall treatment and well-being.

For your safety :  All members of your health care team should be identifiable with a security badge that resembles the following:

List of credentials

The identification badges of staff often include a series of letters after the employee's name. Those letters are the employee's credentials. They stand for the degree earned or the training completed in a particular health care field. Here is a list of abbreviated professional titles you will most often see during your stay and what they mean:

Pain management

As a patient at UK Hospital, you can expect:

• Information about the appropriate management of pain and treatment of uncomfortable symptoms
• Your pain be kept at a level you can tolerate so your strength and mood are at their best
• Attention from considerate and dedicated health care professionals
• Reports of pain will be believed.