Intensive Care Unit
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is located on the 3rd floor of the Hospital. The eight-bed unit serves mainly cardiac, medical, and surgical patients requiring close monitoring and observation. Admissions to ICU occur when you experience a heart attack, chest pain, have difficulty breathing, and/or when you are in need of more intensive observation for a critical condition.
Patients are admitted into the ICU so they can be closely monitored using special equipment in a quiet atmosphere. The length of stay will vary depending on the patient's need for specialized care.
Visiting hours take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Visitors are limited to two at one time for a period of 15 minutes. Visitors are asked to ring the buzzer at the entrance of the ICU each time they wish to visit. Visitors may be asked to leave at any time, depending on the individual needs of the patient. Quiet time is observed in the ICU between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. as rest is vital to the recovery of patients in the ICU.
No children under the age of 12 are permitted to visit.
Family members can help by:
- Not bringing flowers or goodies into the ICU for patients
- Checking with the nurse before visiting a patient
- Designating one person as the contact person to phone and inquire about a patient’s condition
The ICU provides critical care medicine, intensive monitoring and treatment with vasoactive drugs, ventilator and respiratory support and post-surgical care. Trauma is generally referred to tertiary care centres. The ICU team acts as a resource to other areas through: monitoring telemetry, critical care nursing assessments, difficult IV starts, leading the cardiac arrest team and critical care transport escort.