Orientation to UP Manila

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Today we were oriented to the College of Nursing at UP Manila. We toured the Philippine General Hospital and met many faculty and staff members. Philippine General Hospital (PGH) serves as the main healthcare facility for Manila and surrounding provinces. What was most impressed upon us during the tour was the cleanliness and lack of clutter in the hallways.

At PGH, clients have the option of paying for private rooms, or occupying public charity rooms. The private suites were spacious, furnished, and designed to allow many family members to visit comfortably. Rooms are designed in this manner based on the belief that the presence of family members improves the health outcomes of clients. Charity rooms provide space for the care of anywhere from six to fifty patients per room, and no curtains or dividers between clients, limiting privacy. On some wards, nurses provide care for as many as 12 to 18 patients. As you can imagine, nursing staff must be incredibly efficient in the delivery of care in order to provide safe, competent, and compassionate care. One initiative we observed and believe could benefit health care delivery in Canada is the practice of educating family members on the ward in a group setting. Topics that are covered during this time are: patient care initiatives, health care forms and referrals, and health teaching. Education sessions are held weekly, further reinforcing the information.