Path to LeadershipBasic Ministry Skills

How to Make a Hospital Visit

How to MakeA Hospital Visit

• Arrive after 10:00 AM• Knock for permission to enter and

wait for an invitation to enter the room. – Listen closely; hospital rooms doors

are thick and the patient's voice may be weak!

• Introduce yourself to the patient.• Position yourself in the line of the

patient’s vision.

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Things Not to Do InA Hospital Visit

• Don’t offer your hand… let the patient invite a handshake.

• Don’t sit down, except at the invitation of the patient.

• Never sit on the bed.• Do not wake a sleeping patient. – Leave a handwritten note – Perhaps, along with a devotional

magazine.• Don’t offer medical advice or tell about

someone else who had the same thing.

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Keep Visits Brief

• Normally, visits should last 5 to 10 minutes – Depending on relationship, purpose,

and the patient’s state of health.– If you arrive at mealtime, make your

visit very brief.– If their Doctor comes in, excuse

yourself immediately.

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How to MakeA Hospital Visit

• Focus on the patient once you are in the room.

• Instead of asking, – “How are you feeling?”

• …You might ask, – “How are things going today?”

• Listen; Let the patient do most of the talking.

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Offer Prayer As You Leave

• When it is time to leave, offer a prayer – With the patient’s permission– When possible, hold the patient’s hand or

gently place your hand on the patient’s arm or shoulder.

• When praying, be comprehensive and specific. – Pray for the patient’s freedom from pain – Pray about family concerns, if any– Pray for God’s will to be accomplished in

this sickness and recovery – Express dependence upon the Lord

Path to Leadership

Path to Leadership