Intensive Care Units Definition And Nursing Management

Intensive Care Units Definition:

Intensive care units (ICU) are places in the hospital where the most seriously ill patients are cared for by specially trained staff. The staff consists of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, nutritionists, physical therapists, pharmacists. They work closely together as a team to provide the best possible humane care. Two things that make care in the ICU different than in a regular hospital care area are the nursing support and the special type of equipment in use. The level of nursing care in the ICU is higher than care in other parts of the hospital. ICU nurses are specially trained to care for the most ill patients.  The second thing that distinguishes an ICU is the use of advanced technology. The ICU team uses a number of specialized machines and devices, called monitors, to frequently check the heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing. There are machines that help patients breathe called mechanical ventilators. While it can be overwhelming to see so many machines, wires and tubes, like intra-aortic balloon pumps , extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuits , each does its job to help the patient. To the casual observer, the ICU would seem a good place for patients to stay all the time they are in hospital because of the high level of care. 

 Nursing Management Of ICU( Intensive care units ):

• Taking regular blood tests.
• Changing the patient’s treatment in line with test results.
• Giving  the drugs and fluids the patient that the doctors have prescribed.
• Recording a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels.
• Clearing fluid and mucus from the patient’s chest using a suction tube.
• Turning the patient in his or her bed every few hours to prevent sores on the skin.
• Cleaning the patient’s teeth and moistening the mouth with a wet sponge.
•  Daily spongeing  the patient in bed.
• Changing the bed sheets.
• Changing a patient’s surgical stockings, which help circulation when he or she is inactive (lying still) for a long time.
• Putting drops in the patient’s eyes to make it easier to blink.