Inpatient Care, also known as acute care, is for patients who are admitted for short-term medical treatment of an illness or injury. An acute care stay at the hospital is measured in days rather than weeks and includes outpatient and short-stay care. Acute care patients are provided with a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day, an on-call physician 24 hours a day, and room amenities including local calls, internet access, cable TV and meals.