Inpatient care covers high dependency care, acute care, convalescent care, and rehabilitation.
Objectives of ward admission
- To quickly stabilise the acutely ill and unstable psychiatric patient.
- To prevent injury to the patient and staff.
- To form a therapeutic alliance with the patient and caregiver.
- To exclude organic problems for the patient's symptoms.
Standard of care
- Patients in this ward shall have one patient to one staff member, or two patients to one nursing staff member.
- All patients in this ward shall be reviewed at least once every shift by the medical officer (three times per day, every day).
- All patients in the ward shall be reviewed daily by the specialist.
- Relevant investigations shall be ordered, and the results traced and reviewed by the medical officer on the same day they are ordered.
- Relatives may request to talk to the specialist or medical officer in charge at least once per day.
Infrastructure and facilities
- Toileting and dining facilities shall be separate from patients in other wards.
- A resuscitation trolley, defibrillation machine, oxygen, suction, and a patient monitoring device which measures blood pressure and pulse shall be present.
Care plan
- All patients shall have a nursing care plan and a psychiatric care plan.
- The specialist in charge shall determine and review the care plan.