THE HOSPITAL TEAMS

A. The Hospital Team

It is essential for you to know the people who you are going to work with in the hospital.
You must know the different roles played by these people as well. They could be doctors,
nurses, medical professionals, and staff. Let’s get to know them and what they do.

porter receptionist paramedic scrub nurse pharmacist

radiologist lab technician charge nurse cardiologist midwife
pediatrician consultant physiotherapist anesthetist surgeon

Exercise 1.1 Choose the correct word from the box to complete the sentences.

1. A is a doctor who treats children

2. A is a medical professional who attends births and delivers

babies.

3. A is a doctor who specializes in illnesses of the heart and blood

vessels.

4. A is a staff who moves patients, equipment, furniture, etc. around

the hospital.

5. A is a medical professional who takes x-rays and other images.

6. A is a nurse who supports surgeons in the operating room.

7. A is a nurse who prepares medicines to give to medical staff or

patients.

8. A is a medical professional who responds to emergencies and

gives first aid.

9. A is a doctor who performs surgical operations.

10. A is a medical professional who examines samples and tissues

under a microscope.

11. A is a nurse who supervises staff nurses in a ward.

12. A is a staff who assists people with appointments and directions.

13. A is a nurse who administers drugs to patients to prevent pain

during surgery.

14. A is a doctor who gives expert opinion to other doctors and

surgeons.

15. A is a medical professional who helps patients with physical

difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability.
ng Yourself and the Hospital Staff

When it’s your first day at work or if you are moved from one department or ward to
another, you must make sure that you can introduce yourself properly to your new
colleagues. In turn, you should be able to introduce yourself and your colleagues to the
patient. Here are sample conversations:

Introducing yourself to the patient

Parn: Hello! I’m Parn, a Staff Nurse here at Naresuan University Hospital. May I
know your name? Moo: Hi! My name is Moo. How are you?
Parn: I’m good, thanks for asking. I’d like you to meet Jam, she is our nursing assistant.
Moo: Nice to meet you Jam.
Jam: Nice to meet you too. If you need anything, just
let me know. Parn: Thanks Jam. Could you please get
some water for Moo.
Jam: Sure, I’ll be back in a minute.

Introducing your colleagues

Parn: Hi Bam. Have you met the Ward
Charge Nurse? Bam: No, we haven’t met
yet.
Parn: May I introduce you to Sister Tam.
Bam: Good morning, my name is Bam. How
do you do? Tam: I’m doing well. How about
you?
Bam: I’m great! It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Tam: The pleasure is mine.

When you are to meet people for the first time, you have to use formal or informal words
to address them. Typically, if you are meeting someone new from work, especially if they
are someone older or more senior than you, you have to use formal words. If you are
meeting new friends or colleagues at the same level as you are then you can use informal
words.
 Introducti Respon
Informal Hello / Hi! Hello / Hi!
I’m … May I know your name? I’m …
I’d like you to meet …
How are you? I’m fine, thanks. And
you? I’m good, thanks
Formal May I introduce you to … ? Good morning. My name
How do you do? is …. I’m doing well. How
Have you met … ? about you? No, we haven’t
met yet.

Speaking Activity

Form a group of three and practice the introductions and responses. Prepare to present
your introductions in front of the class.
Different countries, Nationalities and Languages
It is important for nurses to know the different countries, nationalities and languages of
their patients. Exercise 1.2 Write the nationality and language spoken of the people
from these countries.

Country Nationality Language( Country Nationality Language(s

Australia Myanmar
Cambodia Philippines
China Singapore
France Spain
Germany Switzerland
Italy Thailand
Japan The United
Korea Vietnam
Malaysia Malaysia

B. In and Around the Hospital

The names of the wards can be formed by adding a suffix from the departments and used as an
adjective.

e.g. surgery becomes the surgical ward *for obstetrics we use the labor
medicine becomes the medical ward ward
gynecology becomes the gynecological
ward
Exercise 1.3 Make an adjective from these words by removing the letters in bold and adding a
suffix.

1. Neurology 5. Opthalmology

2. Cardiology 6. Neonate

3. Gastrology 7. Pharmacology

4. Dermatology 8. Urology

Ask your partner the following questions:

1. Where can a mother go to visit her premature baby?

2. Where do you ring to order a patient’s medications?
3. Where can I find a doctor to look at my moles?
4. Where do patients usually go if they have a heart attack?
5. Where do patients go when they have an infection in their bladder?

Look at the prepositions used in the following examples:

A pediatric nurse works in the nursery in the children’s ward.

My friend works in the Operating Theatre on the 6th floor.

The Surgical Ward is next to the Orthopedic Ward on the same floor.

We use different expressions depending on the

situation: We go to a ward or
department.
We work in a ward, but we work at the hospital.
We take/send a patient to a department but he is in the ward, hospital, or theatre.
C. Hospital Admissions

What is the Standard Admission Procedure where you work? With a partner, put the
following points into a possible sequence. (1-9)
a. Tell the patient what is going to happen to him/her in the next 12-24 hours.
b. Co-ordinate between the patient, the doctors and other health care workers.
c. Put on the patient’s name band and signs necessary on the bed (e.g. nil orally or
fasting)
d. Inform the doctor in charge of the patient’s arrival.
e. Welcome the patient in a calm, friendly manner.
f. Introduce yourself and the other patient (s) in the room. Introduce other staff and the
Ward Charge
Nurse where possible.
g. Complete the admission form and appropriate charts.
h. Show the patient where to find the bathroom, the Nurse’s station, the Day Room
(Sitting Room).
i. Demonstrate the handset with the overhead light and the call bell (or buzzer) and the
patient how to use the remote – if a TV is provided.

Reading
On Monday, Mark is admitted to hospital and arrives in the Surgical Ward with Julie. They
meet the Charge Sister and Sister Joanna, who takes them to a room. Mary, the Ward
Help, is in the room cleaning the bedside tables. There are 2 beds in the room but both
are empty.

Sister Pat: This is your room, Mark – number 612. You will be on your own
for a couple of days so you can choose the bed near the window or
this one near the bathroom. Hello Mary, this is Mark Andrews and his
wife Julie.
Mary: Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. Can I get you a bottle of
water and a glass? Sister Pat: Thank you Mary, but mark is having more tests
today and can’t have anything to eat
or drink until later. Mary is a wonderful help and will help us to look
after you, Mark. Mark: Thank you. I’d like to have the bed near the window
if that’s all right.
Sister Pat: Yes, of course. I’ll leave you to change into your pyjamas and
hop into bed and then I’ll come back in a few minutes to ask you a few
questions. You can put your clothes in the cupboard on the left, but it
isn’t very big so it’s probably a good idea to take
the suitcase home with you, Mrs. Andrews. Mark, you can put the things you
need in
the cupboard near the bed.
Mark: Yes, thank you. Jules will take the case with her when she goes –
you’ve got the car, love, so that’s no problem, is it? Can my wife stay
here this morning, Sister?
Sister Pat: Yes, that’s fine. I’ll come back to speak to you both very soon. This is the
handset. if
you need anything, just call. This button is the buzzer and this one is
to cancel your call – the light over the door turns off – this one is for
the overhead light… OK?

Exercise 1.4 Read the dialogue to answer the following questions:

1. Who is Mary?
2. How many patients are in the room with Mark?
3. Does he have a choice of beds? Which one does he choose?
4. What is Julie taking home?
5. Is Mark fasting?

Speaking Activity
In groups of 3, practice the dialogue. Discuss the expressions in bold and how you can say
them differently.