Calling for assistance
Every patient bed is equipped with a "nurse call" device. The device may be built into the side-rail of the bed or may be attached to a cord on the bed. When you want to contact the nurse, push the button on the device and a "nurse call" operator will answer and will then page the nurse to your room. If you are unable to use your hands, we can make a pillow pad device available for you to use. We will teach you how to use all devices as part of the orientation we give you to your room.
Coordinating your care with care management
The Care Management department works with patients and families to coordinate their care from illness to wellness. Care Coordinators help patients and family members develop a discharge plan based on the patient's functional, physical, medical, psychosocial, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs. You can contact Care Management at 757-612-6363 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. During evening and weekend hours, call 757-594-2000 and ask to page the on-call care coordinator.
Flowers
If someone sends you flowers or balloons during your hospital stay, the florist or their delivery service will bring them to you. If the flowers arrive after you go home, we'll ask the florist to deliver to your home instead.
Hearing impaired assistance
If you or your family members are hearing impaired, we can provide telecommunication devices and certified sign language interpreters. Hearing amplifiers, TDDYs, volume controls on pay phones and patient phones, and closed captioning on patient televisions are all available. We can also provide nationally certified sign language interpreters through our DeafTalk service. Please notify your nurse if you need any of these services.
Housekeeping and environmental services
Our housekeeping/ environmental services team provides cleaning and housekeeping services to your room daily.
Leaving the hospital
Your physician determines when you are medically ready to leave the hospital and will note this in your medical record. Please make arrangements with a family member or friend to help you when it is time to be discharged to home.
Your doctor or nurse will give you care instructions before you go home. These instructions may cover medical care at home, future appointments, diet, activities, medications, medical supplies or equipment, or other things. Please be sure you understand these instructions. Feel free to ask us to explain anything that you don't understand. If you have questions about your care after you arrive home, contact our free health information service, Riverside Nurse.
Before you leave, check your room carefully for personal belongings. If you have any valuables stored in the hospital, notify your nurse so that we can arrange for those belongings to be brought to you before you leave. If, after you arrive home, you believe you have left personal belongings at the hospital, please contact our safety and protection department at 757-594-2008.
Mail and other deliveries to your room
A hospital volunteer may deliver mail or flowers if friends or family send these to you. Hospital volunteers donate their time and talents to perform many duties within the medical center. These duties include sorting and delivering the mail to patients' rooms each day. We keep a log of registered or certified mail, and you or your family member will be required to sign for it. After you go home, we will forward any cards and letters to your home address.
Medications
All patients who come to the hospital should bring a list of the medications they take on a regular basis. This list should include prescription drugs as well as "over-the-counter" medication, herbal remedies and supplements.
All medications you take while you are in the hospital are prescribed by your doctor, dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, and administered by a nurse. Patients are not permitted to administer their own drugs or keep personal medications at their bedsides except under special, approved circumstances.
Prescriptions given to you when you leave may be filled in any local retail pharmacy. You can also have your prescriptions filled before you leave the hospital by using the Riverside Pavilion Pharmacy. This is our on-site pharmacy.
Nutrition services
Wholesome, nourishing and well-balanced meals contribute to your good health and help speed recovery. Our nutrition services staff prepares nutritious meals that follow doctor's orders and match your preferences as much as possible. There are also several locations throughout the campus that offer a variety of food choices.
Non-English speaking patients
Foreign language interpretation is available through our interpreter phone system. Within a few minutes, we can connect to interpreters of more than 250 languages. We also have select patient education materials, such as videos and handouts, available in Spanish and some other languages. Please notify your nurse if you need any of these services.
Oxygen
If you are receiving oxygen as part of your treatment, you will receive special instructions during your hospital stay. For example, electrically operated equipment and aerosol products are not permitted in areas where oxygen is in use. Absolutely no smoking is permitted in any room in the hospital.
Protecting your privacy
Any personal information about your diagnosis and treatment must come from your physician. This information is only available to members of your immediate family or others whom you designate to receive it. For more information see: Privacy Statement
Smoking
Our focus is on promoting health in our team members, patients and the community. In support of this, Riverside is a tobacco-free campus. Tobacco use is not allowed in any building, parking area or any surrounding grounds. Tobacco products are defined as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, e-cigs and all smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco and snuff. Thank you for your following this policy while you are on our campus.
Television
Cable television is available in every patient room.
Valuable or lost items
If you need to keep personal items such as dentures, eyeglasses, or custom appliances, please make sure that your nurse or caregivers know that you have these items so they can be safeguarded. The hospital is not responsible for lost or broken items unless these items were taken into our care, custody and control.
Please don't bring items of value to the hospital. If you do bring a valuable item, please ask for a "valuables envelope." We will attach a receipt to this envelope where you will list the contents, your name, social security number, and address. Once you have put the item(s) in the envelope, you will observe the nurse seal, initial, and staple the envelope closed. The nurse will take the envelope to the Riverside Regional Medical Center Protection Department where an officer will write a note that the envelope was received. The nurse will place a copy of the receipt in your medical record until you are discharged. Upon discharge, you will take the receipt to the Protection Department and you'll have your items returned.
The hospital does not accept responsibility for items of value unless they are stored using the valuables envelope and the receipt is initialed appropriately. If you lose something, please notify your nurse right away, and we will make every effort to help you find it. Unclaimed articles are turned in to the Protection Department, where they are kept for 30 days. To inquire about lost items, please contact the Protection Department at 757-594-2008.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are available on all nursing units, but getting in and out of them without assistance or instruction may be hazardous. Please ask for help from a member of the nursing staff.
Other information
Fire drills
The hospital conducts fire and disaster drills regularly so that all staff members will be fully prepared in case of an emergency. If a drill occurs while you are here, please remain in your room and do not become alarmed. The hospital is a fire-resistant building, and the staff is trained in fire protection.
Infant security-code pink
The hospital uses the HUGS Infant Security system to protect infants and children on the Birthing and Family Health units. For the protection of these children, the hospital conducts Code Pink drills regularly. The staff is trained on infant security and will start security measures if the HUGS system is activated. If a Code Pink drill occurs while you are here, please remain calm and stay in your room.
Medical staff
The physician who admits you is responsible for directing your care while you are a patient in the hospital. If your doctor does not admit patients to this facility or prefers to use the services of a "hospitalist" physician, we will assign a physician to direct your care. You should consult your physician, as the coordinator for your treatment program, if you have questions about your medical care.
Nursing staff
A team of professional registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants will provide your nursing care 24/7. A nurse manager is responsible for directing and coordinating nursing care on each unit. Please speak to your nurse or the nurse manager if you have questions or concerns.
Patient advocate
Please call 757-612-6179 to speak with a patient advocate.
Additional guidelines for visitors
Visitors can enhance the recovery of patients and we encourage family members and friends to visit. We offer these general guidelines for visitation.
- Visitors should maintain a quiet environment and avoid unnecessary noise. We suggest you limit visitors to two per patient on any visit.
- Visitors in semi-private rooms should be considerate of both patients.
- Visitors must dress appropriately and must wear a shirt and shoes.
- If you have a cold, sore throat or any contagious disease, please visit later.
- We may ask you to leave the room during tests, treatments or when the doctor or nurse needs to see the patient.
- Some of our units care for more critically ill patients. In order to take care of the medical needs of these patients, we restrict visiting hours to shorter periods of time every day. You may call 757-594-2010 for more information.
Waiting areas
There are specially designated lounge areas for visitors on each patient floor and in the main lobby. Families of patients in the critical care units, the emergency department, and surgery have waiting areas convenient to those units.
Gifts For patients
Friends and family often want to bring gifts when they visit. Sometimes the gifts are food items that patients cannot eat while at the hospital, due to their condition or treatment. The patient's nurses can suggest other appropriate gifts. We have a beautiful gift shop on the lower level of the Pavilion. On specialty or intensive care units, please check with the unit manager regarding any gifts for patients.