Most hospice rooms will have do not disturb signs which can be hung on the door handle to indicate that you don’t want people to come in. Who are these signs for? Are they there for the patient or the clinicians? We hang the do not disturb sign on when we see patients as we do not want our clinical assessment to be disturbed and to maintain the patient’s privacy. We put the sign up if a patient is in the bathroom washing, or if a procedure such as a dressing change is being undertaken. Are patients encouraged to use the do not disturb sign for their purposes?
Most hospice inpatient units will have do-not-disturb signs available on each patient’s door. It can be hung out by the healthcare team when a patient is being assessed or if something is being done, e.g. patient bathing. It is used to indicate to other people not to come in as the healthcare team is busy with the patient. This is in contrast to most hospital settings I have worked in that do not have these signs available for use. Closed curtains around a bed do not stop people from barging in. Privacy can become a distant memory.
Are do-not-disturb signs patient-centric or staff-centric tools? Could a patient and their family be empowered to use the signs when they want some privacy? Intimacy is not encouraged in clinical spaces but may be something which is deeply missed. Could a more patient-focused do-not-disturb sign be created? A time-out-please sign. The patient might want to have an important conversation with a loved one. They might want some time to themselves away from the healthcare staff. They might want to do things that represent normality to them. When time is running out it becomes precious and I would like people to spend their time in whatever way they choose.
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