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Patients |
Who are the staff in an intensive care unit?Staff in an ICU work as a team to care for patients. It is likely that you will meet many of the staff who look after your loved one as the days go by. The most senior doctor in an ICU is a consultant. Consultants specialise in a particular area of medicine. Many intensive care units are run by consultant anaesthetists. Other specialist doctors will visit the ICU to advise on particular aspects of patient care. Consultants are assisted by other doctors called registrars and senior house officers. Sometimes doctors who work in ICUs are called intensivists. A doctor will always be available to ensure that any change in a patient's condition is treated appropriately. The senior nurse who co-ordinates the care in an ICU is called a sister, if female, or a charge nurse, if male. The nurses who look after individual patients' needs are called staff nurses. In some ICUs a nurse is assigned to each patient as their primary nurse and spends the majority of their time looking after that patient. Sometimes there may be student nurses on,the unit who work under close supervision. Try to be patient. It may seem that you spend a lot of time waiting to see your love one while the nursing and medical staff attend to them. The staff will, let you be with your loved one as much as possible. Staff who visit the intensive care unit A physiotherapist visits the ICU every day. They may treat a patient's chest, depending on a patient's condition, to clear their lungs. Many patients are at risk from chest infections because their lungs are not functioning well enough to prevent a build-up of secretions. A physiotherapist removes the secretions using a small suction tube passed down a patient's throat. Physiotherapists are also involved in rehabilitating conscious, recovering patients by helping them gently exercise their limbs. A radiographer takes x-rays of patients, either in the unit using a portable x-ray machine or in the radiography department. A radiographer also performs ultrasound scans. A pharmacist is involved in monitoring the effects of medicines on patients. Pharmacists also ensure that an ICU has sufficient supplies of necessary drugs. A dietician ensures that each patient is receiving the appropriate type of food and is receiving enough calories and nutrients. Patients in ICUs are very ill and their condition may change quickly. Information you receive may sound different on a daily basis. You may find it helpful to speak( to the same doctor or nurse. Tell them if you are confused, or do not understand.
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contentEmergency admission |
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