About Your Inpatient Stay |
About Your Physician Visit |
Advance Directives |
Cafeterias and Vending |
Campus Maps |
Dining and Food Services |
Gift Shops |
Guest and Patient Services |
Home Health Care |
Hotels and Lodging |
Inpatient Meals |
Interpreters |
Notary Services |
Patient Mail |
Patient Rights and Responsibilities |
Patient Rooms and Amenities |
Pharmacies |
Social Work and Case Management |
Spiritual Care |
Visiting Hours |
Your Visit or Stay
Hospital patients receive their room assignment based on their admitting diagnosis and bed availability on the day of admission. Patients may need to be moved several times, as their health changes.
UT Southwestern Medical Center wants patients to be as comfortable as possible throughout their stay. Questions regarding the patient’s hospital bed, television, bedside console, room temperature, or other needs, should be directed to the nurse.
Calling a Nurse
Press the nurses call button on the bedrail, if patients have questions or needs that arise while their caregivers are not in their room. If their need is urgent, please indicate that when the nurse answers.
Patient Beds
Hospital beds are electrically operated, and each patient’s nurse will show them how to operate the bed properly. The patient’s hospital bed is probably higher and narrower than his or her bed at home. Bedside rails are for protection. They may be raised at night or during the day, for patients recovering from surgery or taking certain medications.
Restrooms
A restroom is located in each room. Please press the “call bell” when patients need to use the restroom. For their safety, they should not attempt to use the restroom or get out of bed without assistance, unless otherwise directed by the nurse.
Telephones
Phone calls may be placed from patients’ rooms by simply dialing “9” to obtain an outside line. Cell phones are not restricted on the unit unless otherwise indicated. Phone cards for long-distance calls may be purchased in the hospital gift shops.
Friends and family members are welcome to call the nursing station and inquire about a patient’s condition. However, please remember that due to HIPAA (privacy) regulations, limited information may be provided by the nursing staff. If possible, nurses will transfer the call into the room so that the patient or a family member may talk to the caller directly. If patients do not wish to have calls transferred into their room, please notify the nurse.
Television
Cable television is available in every room. Patients may access and change the channels and control the volume with the beside remote.
Channel 16 is UT Southwestern’s closed-circuit television station at University Hospital - Zale Lipshy, which features a number of health-related programs. Channel 28 provides this programming at University Hospital - St. Paul.
