The Intensive Care Unit can be a frightening experience. There are different types of equipment, machines, and alarms going off. You will be hooked up to monitors, equipment and administered medications.
The nursing-staff-to-patient ratio is 1:1. We have a lot of support staff and consulting teams that will be involved in patient care.
Our patients have varying illnesses and treatment requirements, and they respond differently to treatment. There may be good days and bad days with various lengths of hospital stay. Your condition may fluctuate, so it is important to take it one day at a time.
When You Arrive
Patients are admitted either directly from surgery, the general ward, or emergently after consultation with the Critical Care Response Team. Upon your arrival, the ICU team will need time to settle you and get treatment started. There will be times when family members will be asked to wait outside in the waiting room while procedures are being completed.
During Your Stay
Your Treatment
There are many different reasons why patients are admitted to the MSICU. Treatment and care varies between patients. Medical-Surgical staff will update you on your progress daily. Family meetings are available upon request. Most of our patients are on different life support modalities, such as ventilators, intravenous drips/medications, and dialysis.
Monitoring Your Health
Your healthcare team will see you every day. We will talk with you about how you are doing and answer any questions you may have. If you want to speak with a member of your healthcare team at any other time, ask the nurse looking after you.
You may have blood tests,
x-rays,
ultrasounds,
CT scans or other tests performed during your stay. If we recommend that you receive any of these tests, we will discuss them with you in advance, and we will meet with you afterward to discuss the results.
Visitors
We encourage you to have family members, friends and other supportive visitors during your stay. You are welcome to meet with visitors in your room, in the common lounge areas and in the visiting areas outdoors.
UHN hospitals offer flexible visiting hours. Learn more about
visiting patients at UHN »
Amenities
Throughout our hospital, you and your family and other visitors can find a range of amenities to make your stay more enjoyable and comfortable. Learn more about
amenities at UHN hospitals.
Eating and Drinking
We have a dedicated dietician in the MSICU who will follow your condition and assess when and if you are able to be fed. This is re-assessed on a daily basis.
You will have a chance to tell us about your food preferences and allergies when you are admitted to the hospital. This information will be entered into our computer system, and your meals will be provided with your preferences and allergies, as well as the diet plan specified by your doctor taken into account.
Family members are not allowed to bring any food or drinks to the bedside or into the MSICU.
Medications
If you are taking any medications before you enter the hospital and when you are admitted to the MSICU, our Medical Team and Pharmacists will reconcile all home medications as soon as possible. All new medications ordered and new medications prescribed during your stay will be determined and assessed during daily rounds with the medical team and a pharmacist.
We determine patient allergies before any medications are administered.
If you want to know more about your medications, you can ask your pharmacist, doctor or nurse at any time.
Pain Management
UHN has an Acute Pain Service, which will be involved in your care if needed. We will ensure your pain is managed.
As your body heals, you may experience some or a lot of pain and discomfort without being able to express your pain. Our goal is to make sure that you have as little pain as possible or are pain-free.
Most of our MSICU patients are not able to express pain symptoms themselves. The health care team will be managing and assessing your pain daily to ensure a pain-free experience, which will:
- Decrease the amount of stress on your body
- Promote healing
- Decrease complications
- Prevent the development of chronic or long-term pain
We use a special MSICU pain tool to manage your pain if you are unable to verbally state or point to the painful area.
Hand Washing
It is important to wash your hands well and often while you are in the hospital. Washing your hands will reduce the chances that you will become sick or get an infection.
It's okay to ask your doctor, nurse and other healthcare providers to wash or sanitize their hands using a gel hand sanitizer before examining you.
You can learn more about
infection control at UHN.
For Families
Our goal is to work with you to provide the best possible care for your loved one. We know that having a seriously ill friend or family member is very stressful. We will do our best to provide support. By working together as a team, we can help you and your loved one cope with this stressful situation.
Our Visiting Policy in the ICU
- We welcome visits from family and friends. Visits help the healing process of our patients.
- Don't visit if you are feeling sick, have a cough or fever, have vomiting or diarrhea.
- Call the Critical Care Unit before entering the unit. Please use the intercoms.
- Try to have only 2 visitors come at a time. In special cases, we may allow more.
- Make sure children under the age of 12 have permission to visit from the bedside nurse. They must be with an adult at all times.
- Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the ICU and your loved one's room.
- Do not bring fresh flowers, food or latex products into the ICU.
- Remember to leave your valuables at home so they don't get lost or stolen.
Choosing a Spokesperson
Please ask one person 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.
Choosing a spokesperson reduces confusion, protects patient privacy and lets the health care team focus on what's most important - caring for your loved one. Please provide us with the name and contact number of this person.
Being Present at Rounds
Every day, the health care team talks about how your loved one is doing and how to continue their care. These meetings are called
rounds. If the patient gives their consent (agrees), we welcome the family to attend rounds.
During rounds, you have a chance to:
- Share important information with the team
- Hear a quick update about your loved one's condition
- And have a chance to ask questions
If you are the
Power of Attorney or legal decision maker for the patient's health-related decisions, please speak to the bedside nurse if you want to take part in rounds. They can guide you through the process.
Patient confidentiality (privacy) is very important to us. Help us by keeping all information about your loved one and other patients private.
Attending Family Meetings
Sometimes, we need to speak to you and other family members in more detail about your loved one's care. In this case, we will arrange a family meeting. These meetings give you a chance to meet many of the team members and talk about your loved one's progress. We will work with you to schedule the meeting at a convenient time for everyone.
Helping with Daily Care
Friends and family are a very important part of the care of patients. Please speak to a member of the healthcare team about how you can help care for your loved one.
Some examples of how you can help include:
- helping to bathe them
- combing their hair
- brushing their teeth
- helping them with leg and arm exercises
- talking with them
We can also teach you some ways to communicate with your loved one in case they are unable to talk. This is a very important and easy skill to learn.
You are an important part of your loved one's health care team, so you need to take care of yourself. Even though this is a stressful time, try to eat and sleep properly. Taking breaks away from the hospital is very important.
Remember: Your loved one will never be alone in the ICU.
How Long Will Your Stay Be?
There are various lengths of stay depending on the patient's needs and progress.
The length of your stay will be based on your healthcare team's assessment of your condition. Soon after you arrive on the unit, we will discuss with you and your family how long you will be staying.
Preparing for Your Discharge
You will leave MSICU when stable and will be discharged either to an acute care unit or general ward.
We will work with you and your family to start planning early for your discharge to help you with a safe and successful transition.
At the end of your stay, we will give you discharge instructions and a prescription for any medications you require.
If you have any questions about your discharge or your care needs before you leave the hospital, don't be afraid to ask a member of your team. We are here to help you.
