Patient Guide
We are committed to your care.
Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.
Support for Caregivers
We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.
Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective, and timely care.
What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:
- What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care physician or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
- What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
- What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.
If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network
Facts About Your Stay
Accounting
A representative from the Patient Accounting Department can answer questions about your hospital bill and help you interpret financial policies and billing procedures at the hospital. You may contact Patient Accounting by calling 256.386.1469 or 256.386.1637 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
ATM
For your convenience, an ATM is located on the first level of the hospital.
Bedside Shift Report
We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change—about every 12 hours—your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day. Ask questions. The more you’re involved, the better and safer your care.
Bedside Technology
During your stay, you may see your doctors and nurses using computers or tablets. These tools help them care for you by providing around-the-clock monitoring, a variety of resources and quick communication with the rest of your healthcare team. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.
Cafeteria
Location: First Floor
Hours:
Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Monday - Friday | Closed Saturday & Sunday
All visitors are welcome to dine in the cafeteria.
Calling Your Nurse
Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE call button located at your bedside. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.
Care Team
You can call a critical-care response team to respond if your condition worsens and you do not get the immediate care you need. Dial 1500 to request this special service. Ask a staff member to learn more.
Cellphones & Video
During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At North Alabama Shoals Hospital, our staff are permitted to use phones for work-related activities, such as communicating with doctors or other care team members. Employees are not allowed to use phones for non-work-related activities. There are many work related benefits of cellphones and other communication devices, including access to medical references, clinical tools and patient information.
Concerns About Your Care
Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, then contact the hospital patient advocate. You also have the right to file your complaint with:
Patient Representative: 256.386.1701
The Alabama Department of Public Health
Bureau of Health Provider Standards
1201 Monroe Street, Suite 700
Montgomery, AL 36130-3017
Email: ACCComplaints@adph.state.al.us
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Website: www.jointcommission.org, then click “Report patient safety event”
E-mail: complaint@jcaho.org
Phone: 800.994.6610
Fax: 630-792-5636
Sometimes a healthcare choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our medical ethics committee can help you and those who are here to support you make difficult decisions. Contact the front desk for more information.
Fire Safety
We conduct fire drills from time to time. If you hear an alarm, stay where you are. In an actual emergency, hospital staff will tell you what to do.
Flowers
Flowers are delivered to patient rooms by individual florists. Please note that flowers are not allowed in Intensive Care Units.
Gift Shop
Location: First Floor
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cash, check and credit cards accepted.
The Gift Shop has gift items, magazines, books, greeting cards, stamps, candy, toiletries, flowers and balloons. The Gift Shop extension is 1517.
Hearing Impaired
We have services available for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. If you need these services, please contact your nurse.
Hourly Rounding
A nurse will visit you every hour during the day and every two hours at night to check on your comfort, help you change positions in bed, assist with trips to the bathroom, and make sure you can reach your phone, call light, and personal items easily.
Housekeeping Services
Housekeeping services are provided for each room.
Interpreters and Translation Services
Interpreter services are available for patients. Please contact your nurse for assistance.
If you do not speak English, free language assistance is available. Click here to learn about our Limited English Proficiency (LEP) service.
Lost and Found
To reach the hospital Lost and Found, call 256.386.1600.
Mail and email sent to our website are delivered to patients Monday through Friday by hospital volunteers. Flowers may be delivered by individual florists, staff or volunteers.
Medicines
Please do not bring any prescription or over-the-counter medicines to the hospital. All medicines you take in the hospital need to be prescribed, filled and given to you by hospital staff. Tell your doctor about any medicines you regularly take. If you still need them, hospital staff will give them to you.
Parking
Parking for patients and visitors is available in front of the hospital. Outpatient parking is available behind the hospital near the Outpatient Services entrance, and adjacent to the entrance to the Physical Therapy areas. Parking is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Pastoral Care
If you would like a visit from the chaplain for spiritual care and comfort, please ask your nurse to contact the chaplain on call. Your loved ones also may fill out a request card in the chapel. A chaplain will address your concerns by the next business day after receiving the request. The chapel is always open for prayer and meditation. It’s located on the first floor, near the registration area. Visitors of all faiths are welcome.
Patient Meals
Patient meals are provided for overnight stays. A select menu is provided and a food service team member will come to the patient's room to take their order for the next meal.
Personal Belongings and Valuables
Personal care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures can be stored in your bedside stand when not in use. Please do not put them on your bed or food tray to help avoid them being lost or damaged. Leave valuables like jewelry or cash at home, or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. North Alabama Shoals Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.
Public Restrooms
For everyone’s health and safety, we ask visitors not to use patient restrooms. Public restrooms are located throughout the hospital. Ask hospital staff to direct you to the nearest one. Public restrooms are available for our visitors on the 1st floor in the main lobby, near the Emergency Room entrance, and near the Outpatient Admitting area. On the 2nd floor, restrooms are available next to the ICU Waiting Rooms.
Smoking
Given the serious health hazards of tobacco use, we have chosen to become a 100 percent tobacco-free campus. No smoking or tobacco products will be used while on NASH property, parking lots, associated buildings and vehicles. Patients and visitors are asked not to smoke during their hospital visit.
Telephone
All patient rooms have phones. To place a call within the hospital, dial the four-digit extension. To place a local call outside the hospital, dial 9 followed by the number, including the area code.
- Telephones are provided in each patient room, except in the Intensive Care Unit. (This exception is intended to help more critical patients get needed rest for recovery). Patients may receive calls in their rooms from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Long distance and toll calls can be made at any time by dialing 0. The operator will place the call on your calling card. Long distance calls cannot be charged to your room. You can make a credit card call or charge a long distance call back to your home phone number.
- Your family and friends can call you in your room by dialing 386-1 and your room number. For example, to call room 412, dial 386-1412.
- You may call the hospital operator by dialing 0 at any time for assistance.
TV
Each patient room has a television. Please be considerate of others by keeping the volume down and turning off your TV at bedtime. TVs are controlled by the bedside pillow speaker or side rail controls. Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired. Ask a staff member if you have any questions on using your TV.
Vending Machines
Here you can find beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Located on the first floor.
Visiting Hours
Visiting hours are subject to change. Please ask your nurse for official hours during your stay.
To promote healing and safety and limit infection, some units may limit the number of visitors you can receive at one time.
Visitors are welcome at North Alabama Shoals Hospital and are a valuable part of our patients’ recovery. Patient care is our primary concern; therefore, visiting hours may vary to accommodate our patients’ needs.
- General Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Note: Patients have the right to choose to receive visitors from among family, friends or other individuals at any time during their stay.
- Intensive Care Unit: Visiting hours in the ICU vary based on patient need. Specific times are posted in that unit.
Visiting Overnight
Overnight visitation with a patient must be coordinated with the charge nurse and/or nurse manager and is only permitted under certain circumstances. We reserve the right to revoke overnight privileges.
Waiting Areas
There are specially designated lounge areas for visitors on the main floor and on the 2nd floor near the ICU. Specific waiting areas have been designated for families of patients in the Intensive Care Unit, the Emergency Department and Surgery. During certain hours, a volunteer hostess is on duty in the surgery waiting room to keep family members informed about the progress of surgery.
Wifi
Free WiFi is provided by North Alabama Shoals Hospital. To connect, follow these steps:
- Select the WiFi network named "SHO_Guest"
- Launch a web browser
- Click the button to accept the terms and conditions