Visiting the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Transcription

1 Visiting the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit Information for families This brochure has information about: The Medical Surgical Care Unit (MSICU) Members of our MSICU team How you can help care for your loved one Find the MSICU at: Peter Munk Building 10th Floor Toronto General Hospital University Health Network Phone: Please visit the UHN Patient Education website for more health information: University Health Network. All rights reserved. This information is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only. Author: Ingrid Daley, RN, MN Revised: 12/2017 Form: D-5848

2 Who we are The MSICU team is a group of specially trained: Doctors Registered Nurses Respiratory Therapists Pharmacists Physiotherapists Other health healthcare providers (such as dietitians) A doctor and a team of Registered Nurses are always there to take care of the patients in the MISCU, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visiting the MSICU When you arrive at the hospital, go to the waiting room first. Dial the unit at extension 3601 from the waiting room. Let the nurse know you are here before you come into the unit. Visiting hours are from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm every day, but we have a flexible visiting policy. Please talk to your nurse. Only 2 visitors at one time please. Try to keep your visits short. Remember to let other family members in to visit. Reserve visits to immediate family members only. Please speak with the nurse if you need to make special arrangements. Try not to bring children under the age of 12 into the unit. The MSICU can be a scary place for young children. It may be hard to understand what is happening around them. However, children may visit if an adult is with them. Please talk with the nurse before you bring a child in to visit. 2

3 Wait in the waiting room. Do not wait outside patient rooms or in the MSICU hallways. The hallways need to stay clear so that clinicians and patients can pass through safely. The health care team needs to reach your loved one and other patients quickly in case of an emergency. Keep the waiting room clean and quiet for other families. Be mindful that the waiting room is for the family of very ill patients and transplant step-down patients. Be supportive of the team if you are asked to leave the room for a little while. The health care team often needs space and privacy to provide the best care for your loved one. This is a normal part of care. The team will let you know when you can return to the room. Use your cell phone in the waiting room and hallways only. We have pay phones in the visitor waiting room and the hospital lobby. If you need to use your cell phone in the patient care area, please ask the nurse. Public washrooms are outside the waiting room. Make time to rest and to eat. It is important for you to stay well. See page 6 for places to eat in the hospital. 3

4 Do not bring these items into patient rooms: Any plants, including flowers Latex balloons Food and beverages Cell phones Coats and jackets hooks are provided outside each patient's room plastic bags can be be provided for purses or bags upon request Do not visit the unit during these times: When you are feeling ill. This is to keep your loved one and other patients in the hospital safe from germs. If it is an emergency and you must visit while you are ill, please talk to the nurse caring for your loved one. During tests or procedures, like an x-ray. Preventing infection in the MSICU Always follow any special isolation procedure instructions the nurses give you. Talk to the nurse before entering the patient s room if you are not sure what to do. Wash your hands with alcohol hand sanitizer each time: 1. Before you enter the MSICU 2. Before you enter a patient room 3. After you leave a patient room 4. Before you leave the hospital 4

5 How can I help care for my loved one? Choose a spokesperson. Please choose 1 family member to be the main contact with the health care team. This person will receive updates from the team and pass the information on to family or friends. We will add their name and phone number in your loved one s chart. This helps reduce the number of questions and calls we receive. Write down your questions. This helps us make sure you get the answers that you need. Your loved one s nurse will be able to answer many of your questions. If not, they will find the person who can answer your questions as soon as possible. You can use the space on the last page of this pamphlet to write down your questions. Let your nurse know if you want to be part of bedside shift report and safety checks. Bedside shift report is the time when the nurses share important information about your loved one s care in the room as one nurse is handing over care to another nurse. Bedside shift report happens at every shift change (7:15 am and 7:15 pm). Patients who are able or their substitute decision maker can attend. Let you nurse know if you want to be present for MSICU Interprofessional Rounds. Each morning the health care team reviews and assesses each patient. Patients who are able or their substitute decision maker can attend. Book a meeting with the MSICU team. Family meetings are a chance for family members and the MSICU team to sit down and talk about your loved one s plan of care. Bring your list of questions to this meeting. To ask for a family meeting, please talk to your loved one s nurse. 5

6 Call the unit. You can call at any hour of the day or night except during shift change at 7:00 am 8:30 am and 7:00 pm 8:30 pm. The MSICU phone number is We respect our patients privacy The team in the MSICU will make sure that our patients privacy is always protected. We will only give information about the patient to immediate family. The spokesperson you choose can let us know if information should be given to other people. Please respect the privacy of all our patients and staff. Taking photographs is not allowed is not allowed in the hospital. Places to eat in the hospital Place How to get there Hours Food Court Starbucks Tim Hortons Take the Munk elevators to Level G (Ground) Take the Munk elevators to Level L (Lobby) Take the Munk elevators to Level 1 to the Norman Urquhart Lobby Monday to Sunday Opening times vary Monday to Friday: 6:00 am to 9:00 pm Weekends and holidays: 6:00 am 8:00 pm Monday to Friday: 5:00 am 12:00 am Weekends and holidays: 6:00 am 9:00 pm 6

7 Who to contact for general questions about the MSICU Talk to these MSICU staff members at any time if you have any question or concerns: Nurse Manager Patient Care Coordinator(s) PCC Charge nurse Phone: You can also contact: UHN Patient Relations Office Phone: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am 4:00 pm Write your notes and questions here: 7