Writing About: Hospitals

While I was writing the last book in my series, I realized that my protagonist had gone to the hospital twice (but as a patient only once). Hospitals are common places for people to go to in real life, as well as in fiction. Writers lead their characters to hospitals for many reasons. If one (or several) of your characters end up at a hospital, and you suddenly find yourself scratching your head about where to begin, this article is for you!

There are four places in a hospital that you can set as a scene.

#1: Operating room

Describe what the operating room looks like: the sterilized tools set on a tray, the heart monitor, and the group of doctors and nurses in scrubs, masks, and gloves. 

What happens in the operating room? Conduct a little research to know what a doctor would do in the circumstances that you are writing about. Make sure you know the correct names of drugs and procedures. This can easily be done with the help of the internet, or a medical professional who will let you pick their brain. You don't even have to get real technical! 

Make sure to add dialogue. Have the surgeon give orders, and voice his/her worries while they are trying to save the patient’s life.

You don’t have to write about every single thing that the doctors and nurses do, but knowing how to end the scene is key. You can leave it on an exciting note where the reader won’t know if the patient survived, or you can bring the event to a close by bringing the patient's bleeding and heart rate under control.

#2: ICU/Hospital Room

What does the patient look like lying in the hospital bed? Do they have IV’s in their arms, a breathing tube or an oxygen mask? Do they have bandages on their limbs or visible stitches? Are they awake or unconscious?

Is a loved one sitting in a chair nervously watching their heart monitor, and praying the patient will wake up? Or are they offering the patient ice chips? Let your readers in on how they feel. Is your character desperately holding back tears, pacing back and forth, or joking with the nurses to lighten the mood? 

If the patient is awake, reveal his/her feelings about being hospitalized, and about his/her illness or injury. Does the patient have to stay in bed? Describe their agitation about not being home, and having to watch soap operas all day. 

There is so much that you can include in the ICU/hospital room scene in your book. Use as much detail as possible so your readers can feel as though they are right there with your character(s).

This is a picture of . . . my arm when I was in the ER due to heart problems.

#3: Waiting Room

Maybe you’ve never had to wait in a hospital waiting room, but I can bet that you’ve at least been in a waiting room in a doctor’s offices. Write about the uncomfortable chairs, the nude walls, the droning television, and let’s not forget the hospital stench! You know what I’m talking about . . . that sterilized smell that clings to your nose hairs.

Then reveal how your character is feeling while waiting to hear about their loved one. Tell your readers about their fears, their guilt, their worry, and whatever might be running through his/her head. In stressful situation, it's sometimes hard for our brains to process what is going on. Your character could be thinking about the pile of laundry they have to tackle, or they could be planning every step that they have to take to help their loved one.

Don’t forget to write about the moment when the doctor comes to speak to your character about the patient’s condition. And make sure to use emotion! Waiting rooms are bursting with emotions. How would you feel if it was your husband/wife, father/mother, etc. in the hospital? What would you do? Go there in your mind then go there in your writing. 

#4 Hospital Chapel:

First, explain why your character is going to the chapel. Are they religious, and need to spend time with the Lord to pray and find peace? Or are they searching for answers? Maybe coming to the chapel to speak to God for the first time?

Then let your readers in on every emotion and thought they have as soon as they step into the chapel. Do they feel a sense of security the moment they walk through the doors, or a deeper feeling of grieve as their fears are more real than before. If they pray, tell your readers every word they say or think. And when they leave the chapel, show the impact their time in the chapel had on them. Do they feel stronger or weaker? Do they have understanding or are they more confused than ever?

And of course, don’t forget to describe the chapel! Churches are so architecturally beautiful. Try to visit chapels in hospitals or look at pictures to get ideas.

A big thank you to Gina Stoneheart for writing about the Lady of Lourdes hospital in Camden, New Jersey, and letting me share it on my blog to bring some insight to others about what it’s like to be in a hospital’s chapel. 

"Once you plant yourself on one of the pews, cushioned in that churchly color of maroon red, you almost forget about all of the illness and sickness residing merely footsteps away from the Chapel. The altar literally sits directly below the statue of the blessed Mother. The Chapel is always open for patients, visitors and associates. It is a place of scripture, worship and prayer from which comfort, grace and blessing flow into the halls and rooms of Lourdes. My favorite part about having the Chapel located right in the center of the hospital is if I need to take a walk or stretch my legs after sitting with my mother for several hours straight, I simply take a few strides to the heart of Lourdes, and reflect as I gather my thoughts in prayer.  It truly serves as my gateway to a better understanding and affirmation that my mom's struggles will soon be lifted."

Recovery Room: You can also write about the recovery room where patients go after their surgeries. The only reason why I didn't mention this option as a potential scene is only because patients aren't here for long, and when they are . . . they are unconscious from the anesthesia.

You can also write about the cafeteria and doctor's lounges/locker room if your character(s) is a doctor. Watch E.R. and Grey's Anatomy to see what a doctor's lounge/locker room looks like.

For inspiration read my short memoir about my spine surgery: Woman of Steel (Scroll down to the bottom of page 5.)

TIP: If you're like a fellow blogger who commented and you're writing a story set in the future, I can't really tell you what the medical field will be like, but I imagine people will still act the same so you can still use these tips for your characters. But if you follow this link: http://bit.ly/1bOrbDR you can see what a hospital room can look like.

SHARE: Your tips for writing about a hospital.