Feb 22, 2007 19:53
18 yrs ago
83 viewers *
English term
unit vs. ward vs. department
English
Medical
Medical (general)
hospital units
Can't get any final answers how to call a hospital unit. There are wards (as I believe, rooms with inpatients), departments (parts of the hospital) and units (parts of departments). Is that right, or could anybody put me right here?
Responses
| 4 +8 | Further to Ken's comment. |
Michael Barnett
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| 4 +1 | See comments below... |
Tony M
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| 4 | Further to Tony's comments |
Ken Cox
|
Responses
+8
2 hrs
Selected
Further to Ken's comment.
I agree with Tony and Ken.
One could think of a "ward" as being a geographical division, a "department" as being an administrative division and a "unit" being a functional division.
Eg. The Psychiatry Department decided to place the Tourette Unit in Ward 7, far from the Sleep Disorder Unit.
Of course, there is always overlap in the usage of these terms, because practitioners, administrators and patients are often in close proximity to each other by design.
One could think of a "ward" as being a geographical division, a "department" as being an administrative division and a "unit" being a functional division.
Eg. The Psychiatry Department decided to place the Tourette Unit in Ward 7, far from the Sleep Disorder Unit.
Of course, there is always overlap in the usage of these terms, because practitioners, administrators and patients are often in close proximity to each other by design.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "And big thanks to Tony in the first place. You all cleared up the thing for me :)"
+1
10 mins
See comments below...
"ward" is probably the odd one out in your list; it usually means a room with beds for inpatients, yes — though occasionally it is used to describe a particular unit, if it happnes ot only have one ward.
I think the terms "unit" and "department" are to some extent used interchangeably and somewhat indiscriminately by hospitals, as the fancy takes them.
I am not aware if there is any specific, "official" definition as to what, if any, functional or administrative difference there is.
Where I used to work, we had an Eye Unit (which was a distinct entity, so the word was logical); we also had an Orthopædic Department (which was part of the main hospital building)
Not far away was the renowned Burns Unit at Odstock Hospital.
We also had a Rheumatology Department...
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Note added at 11 mins (2007-02-22 20:05:00 GMT)
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As you can see, I didn't do very well in the Eye Unit!
What I MEANT to type was "...if it happens to have..."
I think the terms "unit" and "department" are to some extent used interchangeably and somewhat indiscriminately by hospitals, as the fancy takes them.
I am not aware if there is any specific, "official" definition as to what, if any, functional or administrative difference there is.
Where I used to work, we had an Eye Unit (which was a distinct entity, so the word was logical); we also had an Orthopædic Department (which was part of the main hospital building)
Not far away was the renowned Burns Unit at Odstock Hospital.
We also had a Rheumatology Department...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2007-02-22 20:05:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
As you can see, I didn't do very well in the Eye Unit!
What I MEANT to type was "...if it happens to have..."
1 hr
Further to Tony's comments
A ward can also be a set of rooms for patients in the hospital of specific reasons (maternity ward, burns ward, fractures ward, etc.), but it always involves patients.
I agree that there's no general way to distinguish units and departments. However, IMO a department is essentially an administrative entity, while a unit is essentially a functional entity. It's entirely possible for a department to have several units or a unit to have several departments.
I agree that there's no general way to distinguish units and departments. However, IMO a department is essentially an administrative entity, while a unit is essentially a functional entity. It's entirely possible for a department to have several units or a unit to have several departments.
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