Surgery gets all the attention, but the hour that follows — the recovery room — is where your nurses are doing some of the most careful monitoring of your entire hospital stay. Here's what that time looks and feels like, so you and your family can go into surgery with the full picture.

Most people don't expect to be introduced to a doctor they've never met when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. A hospitalist manages your care during your stay — and understanding how that handoff works can help you make sure nothing falls through the cracks when you go home.

Most families don't think about going home until someone says it's time. A nurse with 34 years of experience explains why that's almost always too late — and how one question asked on day one can change everything.