Preparing for hospital

The following information is designed to assist you with your hospital stay and discharge preparations.

Pre-Admission Service

Our pre-admission assessment clinic is available to patients undergoing surgical procedures at St Stephen’s Hospital. Appointments are generally made two weeks prior to your surgery date.

If you are undergoing one of the following procedures, call us on 07 4120 6130 to make an appointment:

Total hip or total knee replacement.
Spinal surgery.
Major bowel, liver or cancer surgery.
Major gynaecology (hysterectomy etc).

If you are undergoing another type of surgery, your doctor will advise you on whether you should attend one of our clinics. Alternatively, we may contact you to conduct a telephone assessment.

When attending your pre-admission assessment appointment, make sure you bring:

Completed admission forms (if not turned in already).
A list of your medications.
Any other information your doctor provided to you.

Preparing for surgery

Please contact your doctor or specialist a week before surgery if you are:

Diabetic: to determine insulin or medication adjustments that may be required.
Taking blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, dipyridamole or any anti-inflammatory drugs.

Ensure you follow your doctor’s instructions for when to stop eating and drinking before your surgery, and any preparation required. You should also make arrangements for a family member or friend to pick you up from hospital and stay with you for 12-24 hours after your surgery.

You may require some level of care when you go home. If you live alone this should be discussed with your doctor before admission, and appropriate arrangements made in advance.

For more information about discharge, please visit our Going home from hospital page.

Day of admission

Ensure that you’ve followed doctor’s instructions for when to stop eating and drinking before your surgery, and any preparation required.

You should also:

Bathe or shower and wash your hair at home. Use plain unperfumed soap unless provided with special soap.
Do not use any powder, deodorants or creams.
Do not wear make-up, jewellery or nail polish.
Do not smoke or drink alcohol for 24 hours before surgery.

Please bring to hospital:

Expand all

Please bring to hospital

Documentation
- Completed hospital admission forms if not already submitted.
- Any doctors’ letters / X-rays / scans pertaining to your condition.
- A certified copy of your Power of Attorney or Advance Health Directive documents, if applicable.
- Medicare/DVA, Pharmacy or Safety Net cards.
- Credit card (or other payment means).
- Private health insurance card.
Medications

Please bring sufficient supplies of all medications you will need for the duration of your admission in their original, labelled packaging. Remember to bring any inhalers, creams, ointments, patches, eye or ear drops, injections or complimentary medicines that you use.

Upon arrival to hospital, your own medications will be reviewed and secured into your bedside cabinet for safety purposes. Some specific medications will be required to be secured in the hospital’s medication safe as per legislative requirements. Should this be required, you will be provided with a receipt tag for your medications to be returned to you on the day of your discharge.

Nurses will scan the medication and your arm band when administering your medication. Medications will be administered within 1.5 hours of the time your doctor has prescribed. If you notice you are missing any of your regular medication or the administration times are not the same as your usual routine, please discuss with your nurse.
Personal belongings
Please bring your personal belongings in a small and secure bag. It is recommended that you do not bring any valuable items or large amounts of cash into hospital, although we understand this can sometimes be unavoidable.

Any valuable items will be itemised on admission to ensure appropriate security measures can be undertaken. It is suggested cash amounts greater than $50 be secured into the safe, and a receipt will be provided to you for return on the day of your discharge.

You should also bring a few items to ensure your hospital stay is as comfortable as possible. This includes (where applicable):
- Nightwear, dressing gown, non-slip slippers/footwear.
- Personal toiletries.
- Glasses, hearing aids etc with their appropriate cases.
- Physical aids.
The hospital takes no responsibility or liability for loss of money, valuables or other possessions.

Staying safe during your stay

Your safety and wellbeing is our top priority. Learn more about how we can help you avoid falls during your stay.

Watch video

Preparing for hospital

Pre-Admission Service

Preparing for surgery

Day of admission

Please bring to hospital

Documentation

Medications

Personal belongings

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