Intensive Care Unit - ICU

Surgical Intensive Care - SICU

Patients in SICU
Each patient and procedure is different. The determination as to whether the patient will go to SICU or to a regular post-surgical room is made jointly by anesthesia and the attending surgeon based on the procedure performed, the patient's condition or a combination of both.

Once in SICU
Patients who are placed in the SICU room will have continuous heart, blood pressure, and respiratory status monitoring. The nurse to patient ratio is 2 patients to 1 nurse but can be more or less determined on the patient’s condition. The patient’s vital signs are monitored also at the nursing station.

Visitation
Generally after the patient is admitted to ICU they will need a “settling in” period which consists of a head to toe evaluation and assessment of the patient’s condition. As soon as possible the family will be allowed in to visit the patient. Visitation is scheduled, but there are always circumstances that arise and the nurses are flexible and accommodating with the families if there is any possible way to meet special requests. The only times visitation is discouraged is during a procedure or during an emergency in the unit.

Communication between staff and family
The nurses are very busy in the critical care units due to the patients' needs; however the nurses attempt to communicate information to the families during visitation. If there are changes in the patient’s condition the nurses will update the family as quickly as it is safely possible. Every attempt is made to keep the family informed but there may be times that the care of the patients require the nurse’s constant attention and prevents them from immediate updates. There is a phone in the SICU that calls directly to the nursing station and if the nurse is available they are glad to speak with family members or have them come in for a visit. The family can establish a code that allows them to call from home for updates.

About the staff
All staff are ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) trained and Critical Care trained. Many are certified by the professional association of critical care nurses. The staff receives ongoing training and competency evaluation yearly.

The tenure of the nurses, their high level of experience and expertise, their personal concern for each patient is as important as any treatment and medication the patient may receive. It is the nurse that stands at the patient’s bedside and provide constant care.

The nursing staff always has the patient’s best interest at heart and understands the families concerns and welcomes the families as part of the plan of care.