Public Hospitals Authority Commonwealth of The Bahamas PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT FAMILY & VISTOR INFORMATION ICU Mission Statement Providing skilled compassionate care through teamwork to the satisfaction of patients & families
Dear Visitor Whether you are friend or family of a patient in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) we are acutely aware that this is an extremely stressful time for you. It is probably of little solace to you then whether your loved one is in our unit simply for observation or is suffering from some critical illness or injury. With this in mind we have prepared a booklet to provide some information about this unit and about what to expect during the time your loved one is with us. We wish for you to be satisfied and would like to offer all the support and information we can. We hope therefore that you will feel free to ask questions, express your concerns and please never be afraid to ask for our help. The Critical Care Team
COMMUNICATING WITH THE HEALTH CARE TEAM Every patient admitted to the ICU has two (2) physician teams assigned to him or her. This includes the ICU physician team and the Primary service physician team. In addition, each patient has a nurse assigned to his or her care, either exclusively or shared with another patient. 1. Find out the primary physician and the nurses assigned to your loved one and introduce yourself. 2. If the patient is from a large family, please select a family spokesperson who can speak for all of you and who can share new information with the rest of the family. 3. Provide as much information as you can about the patient, especially when the patient is unable to communicate. 4. Be sure to share the wishes of the patient regarding surgery, life support equipment, dialysis and other medical procedures to the health care team. Try as much as possible to express the patient s wishes, or what you believe to be the patient s wishes. 5. We may ask you to make some legal decisions; as such we request that you inform us as to your true relationship to the patient. Pretending to be some relation when you are not can get you in over your head. If the patient has no family, and you are a close friend, tell us. 6. Arrange a mutually convenient time to talk on a regular basis. Try to prepare for these meetings ahead of time. Make a list of questions after discussing concerns with other family members. 7. After discussions with the health care team, write down the information you may not remember, especially if you are responsible for passing it on to the rest of the family. 8. Ensure that the critical care team knows how to contact you. Leave us with all of your modes of communication, including home, work, cellular and beeper numbers. 9. Our telephone number is 322 2861 ext. 2253 and 2053. 10. If you feel that you have received conflicting information about the patient from the Doctors, Nurses or other staff with whom you may have spoken, please ask to speak with the physician in charge so that it can be cleared up. Sometimes a simple difference in wording may have created confusion.
VISITING YOUR LOVED ONE We recognized the need for you to visit your loved one and we have come to appreciate the need of our patients to see a familiar face on a regular basis. However you will find that our visiting hours is much more liberal when compared to the other areas of the hospital. This is because of our special patient population who requires a greater degree of medical intervention and requires a greater degree of sedation and bed rest. We ask you therefore to please adhere to our visiting hours. When this is not possible due to your work schedule or other reasons please let us know. We will try our best to accommodate you. 1. Visiting is allowed from 11am 2pm and 4pm 8pm. 2. Please visit between 9am 10am for family conference (an up date on your relatives). 3. If the patient s condition changes, relatives will be informed and allowed to visit their loved ones outside of these hours. 4. Please ring the door bell and wait for someone to respond. 5. We generally allow two (2) visitors at one time. While waiting and between visits, please wait either in ICU visitor s lounge or in the hospital s front lobby. When you arrive let us know that you are there and we will inform you when you can visit via phone or intercom (ext 2253 or 2053). 6. Except in special cases children under the age of 12 are not allowed to visit in the Intensive Care Unit. 7. If there is an emergency in the unit or if the patient is being attended to at the time of your visit, you may be asked to wait outside the unit. 8. Before entering the unit you may want to enquire from one of the team members just what to expect. Every patient is different and the situation may change from one visit to the other. 9. Let the patient know you are there. Even if your loved one does not appear to be alert, a familiar voice can be comforting. Be positive and supporting. Try to control your own discomfort, as best as you can and let them know you are there to help. 10. Do not be afraid to touch the patient. A reassuring touch may be the best thing you can do for your loved one. If you are fearful of the equipment, ask a nurse for guidance.
11. Listen when the patient wants to talk to you (or write). It may be very important for your loved one to share his or her thoughts with someone familiar. 12. Keep your conversation on subjects that will not upset the patient. Patients may hear and understand more than you think. If a conversation should not be heard by the patient, have it somewhere else. 13. On the other hand, when your loved one expresses a real concern, accept its importance. No one wants to hear everything is fine when it is not. Some topics may be upsetting but avoiding them may be worse. If you are not sure how to respond ask the advice of a member of the critical care team. 14. Share the good wishes and support of family and friends with the patient. This can provide both encouragement and healing. 15. Do not touch the equipment. If you think there is a problem with one of the machines, get help from a critical care team member. Do not try to fix it yourself. 16. Your priest/pastor/spiritual advisor is encouraged to visit at any time and can be called if the patient s condition worsens. Additionally babies can be baptized if requested.
THINGS YOU MAY BRING FOR THE PATIENT 1. Toiletries, soap, powder, deodorant, lotion etc. 2. Wash cloth, towels, pajamas, open night dress, depends, diapers 3. Mouth care: toothpaste, mouthwash 4. Hair care: comb, brush etc. DO NOT BRING Flowers and fruit baskets 1. Food and drinks, unless asked or permitted to do so 2. Bed linen OTHER INFORMATION ICU waiting room to be located on 1 st floor, adjacent to ICU/Intermediate Care Unit Front lobby waiting area Yellowbird volunteer staffs this area during the daytime. A telephone is available at the information desk. Gift shop on ground floor Cafeteria on ground floor Chapel located west of administration. It is open daily. Chaplain is on call 24 hours a day Rest rooms are located on the ground floor adjacent to the cafeteria Public phones are in the front lobby We hope this has been informative. Our aim is to make your visit as comfortable as possible. WE CARE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL MISSION STATEMENT To provide affordable holistic quality healthcare appropriate to the needs of our clients by a team of committed caring professionals striving to achieve excellence through a research driven environment.