What to expect in the Intensive Care unit (Visitor Information)

Contact Information

The Unit can be contact on the following numbers (prefixed by 01)

ICU North	809 2494	809 3152	809 3105
ICU South	797 4814	797 4787

Here in ICU, we care for patients who need 1:1 or 1:2 nursing care. You or your relative may need to be admitted to the ICU for various reasons, these include:

• Blood pressure support
• Support for breathing
• We are a national referral centre for people with neurosurgical/neurological needs
• We manage patients who need continuous dialysis over 24hrs
• After a major surgery

Visiting & Communication

Please contact the line manager on duty regarding visiting times or to book a visit, as they are subject to change

• Please nominate one member of your family to make enquires. This allows the nursing staff to stay with your relative and continue to care for them.
• Avoid calls between 7.30 am. and 8 am., and 8 pm and 8.40 pm as this is handover/report time

General Visiting Guidelines

• ICU North is located on the lower ground floor. When you arrive at the unit, there is a phone which you can use to contact the unit outside the double doors. We will come to meet you at the door, when your relative is ready for a visitor.
• ICU South is also located on the lower ground floor. When you arrive at the unit, you can use the buzzer at the double doors to contact the unit. Similarly, we will come to meet you at the door, when your relative is ready for a visitor.
• These measures are in place in order to ensure patient privacy and dignity.
• Use the alcohol hand gel provided on your way into and leaving the unit.
• Nursing staff will guide you on what your relative needs/belongings.
• Take turns. Your relative may be with us for a while, so please take time to rest yourself. You may be able to take turns with other members of your family. This allows you and your relative time to rest and recover during a very stressful time.
• Speak to the nurse at the bedside if you have any concerns. You can also ask for a family meeting with the medical team, to speak with the manager on duty, to speak with the social worker, or for a visit from the chaplaincy department. Let us know what you need and how we can help.
• Photographs, videos and mobile phones are not permitted in the unit.
• You will also be requested to wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to protect yourself, staff and your loved one/other patients. You will be assisted in the application of PPE on arrival.

Quiet Time 3.30pm – 5pm

Our objective in ICU is to provide high quality care to the critically ill patients and the atmosphere in which to recuperate. We have introduced a designated period of quiet time in our ICU from 3.30pm to 5pm. It is a period of reduced controllable noise and light. The main aim of quiet time is encouraging patients to get adequate rest or sleep by reducing unnecessary interventions, decreasing the environmental noise and by restricted visiting (except in emergency cases). However, during this time we continue with patient admissions, discharges and emergency tests or treatments/procedures.

By providing the quiet time we will provide a healing environment for the critically ill patients.