Southland Hospital

Ronald McDonald Family Room

The Ronald McDonald Family Room offers 4 short-stay rooms for caregivers of critically ill children. They are allocated in consultation with hospital staff. The Family Room also provides a quiet space for whānau to relax and recharge near their hospitalised child.

Te Whare Whānau family room and accommodation

The Māori Health Unit provides a family room service, Te Whare Whānau. This is a short-term accommodation option (1 to 3 nights) available to whānau members who live outside of Invercargill while you receive hospital care.

The room can sleep up to 15 people. A contribution towards using the room is expected — a minimum of $10 per night per person or $25 per family per night.

Register at the security office in the main foyer. You will be provided with 24-hour swipe card access.

For information about Te Whare Whānau, ask the nursing staff.

Māori Health Unit

The Māori Health Unit provides nursing and social support services to Māori and non-Māori patients and their whānau. We are here to support you and your whānau to achieve maximum health, wellbeing and independence.

Additional support is available for Māori and Pasifika to help ensure the return home after a hospital stay goes as well as possible.

We are committed to providing you with a holistic health service and aim to:

• connect you and your whānau with resources and services
• make sure that your return home is successful.

Māori health services — Otago and Southland (internal link)

Pacific Islands nurse specialist service

The Pacific Islands nurse specialist service is designed to assist Pacific people returning home after a hospital stay and to provide nursing follow-up. We aim to prevent the need for hospital admission by offering community care and home visits. There is ongoing contact with GPs and primary-based (community) services focusing on healthcare and education.

The service is available Monday to Friday.

Nurses work with the local Pacific Islands Trust, where other support and nurse-led clinics are available.

Pacific Island nurse service — Otago and Southland (internal link)

Due to the risk that fresh flowers pose to patients with respiratory disorders, you cannot bring them into the following areas:

• intensive care unit
• high dependency unit
• oncology ward
• cardiovascular ward
• respiratory ward
• surgical ward
• medical ward
• multi-bed rooms.

If you are bringing flowers in or using florist delivery services, check with the ward reception.

St John Ambulance Service hospital hosts and volunteers are here to assist you, whether you are a patient or a visitor, in the following areas:

• emergency department
• oncology department.

We provide 24-hour language support in more than 55 languages, including New Zealand Sign Language. We can support you in hospital, or if you need to see another healthcare provider.

Interpretation services can be provided face-to-face, by video or by phone.

How to book an interpreter

If you have a hospital appointment or have been admitted to the hospital, let a member of our staff know that you need an interpreter.

If you need to see another healthcare provider, such as a GP, let them know as soon as possible that you need an interpreter.

Interpretation services are free of charge for patients attending publicly funded appointments at healthcare facilities, either in the public hospital system or the community. This is subject to patient eligibility, such as residency.

All staff are trained to understand and respect diversity. Many have undertaken additional sign language, cultural and linguistic training.

The hospital and grounds are all smoke and vape free areas. If you are a patient we can help with nicotine replacement therapy.

Many different health professionals, including doctors, nurses, midwives, and allied health staff, come to work at Southland Hospital every day.

Students are an important part of this hospital's healthcare team and get valuable on-the-job training.

If it is proposed that students are to be involved in your care, you will be asked for your permission for students to help care for you.

• Students are bound by the same privacy principles as Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora staff.
• Students are supervised, with their work checked, by registered professional staff.

Things to keep in mind during your stay:

• Your comfort, dignity and privacy come first.
• You have the right to expect safe, quality care, to be treated respectfully and to participate in care decisions under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights.
• This is a teaching hospital, and students are an important part of our healthcare team.
• Please ask questions and raise any concerns you have along the way. We are here to listen.

Examples of how students may be involved in your care:

• Assessing your health concerns.
• Medical student stitching a wound or assisting the surgical team in the operating room.
• Midwifery student monitoring a person during labour.
• Pharmacy student interviewing you to write a list of the medicines you take at home.
• In some circumstances (such as emergencies or staff shortages) a student may be required to assist in your care and this will be discussed with you.

If you say yes

Each time a new student meets you, you have the right to decide if they can participate in your care.

Your consent is not a blanket consent — you can choose what level of involvement you are comfortable with.

You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Some aspects of healthcare can be challenging. For example, you might need to have an examination or procedure of a more personal nature.

If you say no

Student practical placement is an important part of training, but above all else, we want you to feel safe and comfortable.

Your decision will not disadvantage you.

You can change your mind if you later decide to have students help care for you.

Questions to ask your care team

• What are the risks of having a student involved in my care?
• What are the benefits of having a student involved in my care?
• Can I provide feedback to the student?