Patients and their loved ones are the reason hospitals exists. Providing safe, compassionate and expert care is the overarching goal of your doctors, nurses and other caregivers in the hospital. Navigating Your Hospital Stay: A Guide Written by Expert Nurses was written to enhance the experience of all hospitalized patients. It was written by expert nurses who are committed to alleviating suffering, preventing complications and promoting healing in their patients. This book describes the members of the caregiving team you or your loved one may encounter, the role of the bedside nurse and why care is provided in certain ways. The goal of this book is to help you become an educated partner in your hospital stay or that of your loved one. The messages contained in this book encourage you to speak up, ask questions and offer feedback to your caregivers to assure that you or your loved one’s needs are met. The overarching theme is communication – how it is provided to you and your loved ones and how your questions, concerns and challenges are heard by members of the caregiving team.

Mary Beth Modic, DNP, APRN, CNS, CDE Clinical Nurse Specialist, Diabetes Mary Beth Modic is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Diabetes at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. She is also the Director of Interprofessional Enrichment in the Center for Excellence in Healthcare Communication at Cleveland Clinic. She is also a certified diabetes educator. She is the co-creator and facilitator of an innovative clinical leadership empowerment program for bedside nurses known as LEAD. She led the curriculum revision for the Cleveland Clinic Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program which was based on extensive patient feedback. Modic’s work is concentrated on providing comprehensive diabetes care using the most current research and promoting the use of empathy in communication with patients and colleagues.