We would like to Welcome You to Martin Health System s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) The ICU is a specialized unit for the very ill or those who need special care and observation. Enclosed is information that may help alleviate your concerns and answer any questions you may have about the ICU. Our mission is to provide exceptional healthcare, hope and compassion to every patient, every time. The most important task upon entrance to the hospital is to designate a point of care contact person for the family. Please choose a family member to whom the staff can provide information and updates. The contact person can, in turn, inform all other family members. This will help with the flow of information and prevent the nurses/physicians from receiving multiple calls.
VISITING What time are visiting hours? The recommended hours for visitation are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 to 9 p.m. Non-visiting hours are used to safely report information from one nursing shift to the next. Space in the ICU is limited. We ask that you limit visitors to no more than two at a time. Also due to limited space, we cannot have family stay overnight with the patient. During visitation, family may be asked to step out of the room for certain procedures, for personal hygiene and when nurses have to give/receive reports on other patients. For your convenience, there is a waiting room across the hall and a coffee shop at the front entrance. Are children allowed in the ICU? Children are allowed in the ICU, however, we ask that you try to avoid bringing small children into the unit. This is for their benefit as well as the patient s. ICU patients are very sick. If children are brought in, please ensure they DO NOT sit or crawl on the floor. Children touch and taste everything and can be exposed to bacteria and germs in the ICU. Please DO NOT place your purse or personal belongings on the floor, as they too can be exposed to bacteria and germs.
VISITING ETIQUETTE When coming to visit, if the patient s curtains are closed, that is an indicator that there is care being administered. Please respect the privacy of others and treat the curtains as if they are doors. Privacy for every patient is extremely important. Also, please do not go behind any other patient s curtains/windows. Can we bring food, drinks and gifts into the ICU? To provide a safer environment, as well as respect for patients who are unable to eat or drink, please do not bring food or drinks into the units. Never give any patients food or water without prior verification from the nurse. The patients may have a test or procedure scheduled. Flowers and balloons are not allowed in the ICU. Can we bring in personal items from home? Due to limited space and concern about infection and germs, please send all non-essential items home. A suggestion is to make a small poster of photographs to cheer the patient and allow staff to get to know the patient better. What does isolation mean? A patient may be on isolation precautions to protect others from a possible infection. Staff will assist you with using the appropriate equipment.
HUSH TIME What is Hush Time? Hush time is designated quiet time in the hospital from 2 to 4 p.m daily. Lights are turned down and staff and visitors keep noise at a minimum in an attempt to help patients receive the rest they need to recover. Can we use cell phones in the ICU? Please do not use cell phones in the ICU as they can interfere with equipment and disturb patients. What is all the equipment surrounding the patient? There is a lot of equipment in the ICU to help us monitor the heart, breathing, pain level, etc. Our staff can explain how equipment is being used to treat your loved one, but we ask that you not touch these sensitive items. When alarms go off, such as the bed and the IV pump, they are signals to alert the staff.
COMMUNICATION Is there a kitchen for patients and family? Our kitchen area is very small and we ask that it be used for staff only. For your convenience, there is a Coffee Shop at the entrance of the building, and a Large Cafeteria on the ground floor. We also ask that patients and staff do not go behind the nurses station. We make every attempt to respect our patients privacy. Are there certain times that doctors make rounds to see patients and answer questions? Are there certain times that our point of care designee should call the hospital for updates? The times that doctors round to see patients varies according to emergencies and priorities. Your nurse will let you know the best times to reach or be available for the doctor. Please also use the whiteboards at each patient s beside to write questions for the doctor and staff, as we use these to communicate with each other and with the patient and family members. Please DO NOT CALL the unit from 6 to 8 a.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. as these are shift change hours.
Who will be caring for my loved one? There are many different staff members involved in the critical care team whom you may encounter during an ICU stay: Critical Care Attending Physician Consulting Physicians Critical Care Nurses Respiratory Therapist Patient Care Technician (PCTs) Pharmacist/Technician Palliative Care Representative Dietician Unit Clerk Clinical Coordinator Director Security Housekeeping Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy
PALLIATIVE CARE What is palliative care? Pallatiative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing comfort and relief to patients who are struggling to cope with the stress, symptoms and burden of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care consultations are available through our partnership with Treasure Coast Palliative Care. A palliative care consultant can help patients and their families understand treatment options; provide pain and symptom relief; and discuss difficult medical decisions that support their values and beliefs. Palliative care is helpful at any stage of a serious illness. It can be provided alongside curative treatments such as dialysis, chemotherapy or radiation. Please ask your physician or ICU nurse about palliative care.
What are the differences in CODE STATUS? What do they mean? Full Code: When a patient is a full code status, and they have an acute episode where his or her heartbeat is on the verge of stopping or has completely stopped, emergent measures will be made in attempt to resuscitate the patient. This may involve chest compressions, electric shocks and emergency medications that act to temporarily keep blood moving to essential organs such as the brain. If this same patient begins to have problems breathing, to the point where he or she might not be able to provide enough air movement to survive, the team will often place a tube into the lungs in order to mechanically provide enough air movement to keep them functional for a period of time. This intervention is commonly referred to as intubation. It is important to note that patients who come into the hospital are automatically considered full code until they either provide verbal or written instructions to a nurse or physician to not have these interventions performed on them in the event of an emergency. In this scenario, the patients code status will switch from full code to AND, Allow Natural Death.
AND, Allow Natural Death does not imply that a medical team will do nothing in the event of a patient emergency or that the patient will get substandard care during the course of their hospitalization. Alternatively, full code does not imply that the medical team will continue interventions on a patient that they deem futile. As long as a patient has capacity to do so, he or she is able to change their code status at any point during his or her hospitalization. Although it is commonly not recommended, a patient may opt to have only certain interventions done in the event of a medical emergency (e.g. AND, but okay to intubate) Because the topic of code status can be confusing to many, it is important for the patient and his or her family to ask questions and ensure that they fully understand the terms and process, and it is encouraged to review possible choices with family members prior to hospitalization..
HOSPICE CARE What is hospice care? Hospice care is designed to give supportive care to individuals in the final phase of a terminal illness and focuses on comfort and quality of life, rather than cure. The goal is to enable patients to be comfortable and free of pain so that they may live each day as fully as possible. Hospice care is available through our partnership with Treasure Coast Hospice. Treasure Coast Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization providing compassionate, comprehensive, high-quality care to patients and those who share their lives. With more than 30 years of experience in hospice care, Treasure Coast Hospice have expertise in seeing patients and families through this most difficult stage of life. Please ask your physician or ICU nurse about hospice care.
Martin Health System 200 Hospital Ave. Stuart, FL 34996 For information please call or visit our website: 772. 223.5945 martinhealth.org