A hospital is a type of medical facility that provides a wide range of medical services. The kind of care that a hospital offers depends on its primary goal and mission. Some hospitals provide more specialized care than others. Other hospitals provide a full range of services during a patient’s stay. A hospital’s ownership structure can be either for-profit or not-for-profit.
Hospitals have traditionally been staffed by professional medical professionals. In the medieval period, hospitals were run by founding religious orders, but by the fifteenth century, many cities in Europe were supporting institutional health care. In England, over 200 hospitals were operating, serving the growing need for medical care. After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1540, secular support of medical institutions continued throughout Europe. In England, this resulted in the founding of the hospital Bedlam, the first hospital that lacked religious support.
The first people that a patient encounters at a hospital are the nurses. These individuals ask about the patient’s medical history and symptoms, help settle them into their hospital room, and take their vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure. Some nurses may even offer tips on self-care after leaving the hospital.
Aside from the ER, another type of hospital is the intensive care unit. In this unit, nurses take care of patients who require a ventilator. The medical intensive care unit treats critically ill patients who suffer from acute or chronic conditions. Internal medicine physicians supervise patients in this unit. While it is difficult to say which type of hospital is best for each patient, it’s generally safe to assume that most patients are admitted to a hospital that specializes in their condition.
Hospitals offer a wide range of services. In addition to inpatient care, they may have acute care departments and medical specialty departments. Some hospitals have dedicated trauma units, a burn unit, or a long-term rehabilitation unit. Other types of hospital will have outpatient care departments and chronic treatment units. In addition, they may have a specialized department for nursing and medical research.
The name of a floor unit will vary depending on the type of care that the patient requires. A floor unit might be called the orthopedic department or the surgery department. These units specialize in specific medical treatments for patients with bone problems. Some floors have a surgical intensive care unit or a cardiac step-down unit. Some facilities have more than one floor unit, so it’s important to find out what each unit is called to make sure you get the best care possible.
The services offered by a hospital are the foundation of its operations. These services are often shaped by the needs of its major users and make it an “all-in-one” medical institution. The services of a hospital can range from basic health care to advanced clinical services to research and training centers for major medical school centers.