Adjusting to hospital life sometimes feels very unsettling for young people – it can be very different to your home life.
But the good news is that there are many ways to handle different emotions that you might be feeling in hospital.
Hospital fear
Though most teenagers don't like to admit it, many people experience some sort of fear when they are in hospital.
Whether it is a fear of needles or a fear of what will happen to you, it is not unusual to feel this way.
To help reduce this fear, try talking to a health
professional who can explain to you what to expect. After all, you may
have been worrying about something that is not actually that bad after
all.
Beating boredom
When you are an
inpatient you might spend a lot of time in bed, waiting for doctors and
other health professionals to come and do their rounds.
After a while, daytime TV can seem a bit dull! And once the boredom kicks in you might start to feel miserable and miss home.
Try to keep yourself busy when you are not resting.
This doesn't have to mean running around, but do find things to
entertain yourself.
Hospital school
The ward staff
might be able to find some new DVDs or videos; a play specialist might
bring you a board game; or you could ask a friend or relative to bring
you a crossword or soduko book.
You could even use the time in hospital as a great opportunity to learn a new skill. Some hospitals even have a
hospital school with teachers on hand to keep you stimulated and up to date with your studies.
Ask about it
Many young people feel
that some of the health professionals at their hospital talk to their
parents about their condition instead of them. This can be very
frustrating, especially if you feel as if nobody is listening to you.
If this is the case, make sure that you ask lots of
questions so that staff know that you’re interested in what’s going on.
They will then, hopefully, be more likely to include you.
If you don't understand what they are talking about,
ask them to explain it. Remember it’s your body they're talking about
and you have the right to know what is going on.
PALS service
If staff still don't get the hint, it might be worth writing them a polite letter.
They probably haven't realised how frustrating it is for you, and I’m sure they will make an effort to listen to you after that.
But if you're still stuck, you might want to discuss this with the
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), which is there to help patients with any problems in hospital.
Speak out
When you are in hospital
and feel bored, scared, upset or just a bit confused about what is going
on, make sure that you tell somebody.
The staff are there to look after you and it’s
unlikely that they are ignoring you on purpose. They probably just don’t
realise that you are feeling like this.
The easiest way to deal with this problem is to tell
them how you are feeling and ask for their help. It’s your right as a
patient to be heard and have your views taken seriously.
