Weekend Hospital Stays

Individuals who have experienced extended hospital stays have frequently contracted various illnesses from their time in the hospital. This is not necessarily the fault of the hospital so much as the presence of germs from illnesses combined with a lack of mobility. While infections can occur at all times, illnesses tend to occur at a much higher rate on weekends.

Weekends are a dangerous time to be in a hospital. Hospitals are more dangerous on the weekends due, in part, to the inexperience and youth of the hospital staff. Many hospitals staff their halls with the youngest staff possible on the weekends.

On top of having a younger staff, hospitals may staff the buildings with fewer people overall. This means fewer nurses, fewer orderlies, and fewer doctors overall. As such, anyone in the hospital on a weekend is likely to get less attention. In addition to the decreased personal attention, there is an increased time between a call for assistance and when assistance arrives. If there are fewer people in a building, it is obvious that they cannot be as close as they would be if the hospital were fully staffed.

Another danger of hospitals on weekends is discharge on a Friday. Because of the lower staff numbers on weekends, many hospitals try to push patients out the door on a Friday. This is dangerous for the patient in that it means the patient can be pushed out of the door before he or she is really ready to leave. Furthermore, a patient pushed out of the door on a Friday may have difficulty getting into the hospital to see a doctor should something go wrong that weekend.

Contact a Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you have been injured by a hospital’s negligence, contact a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511.