What is Critical care?
Critical care indicates the ‘intensive care’, ‘intensive therapy’ and ‘high dependency’ units in hospitals, healthcare services and centres. Critical care is provided to the patients who are in need of specialised monitoring, treatment and attention. As for example, critical care is given after routine complex surgery, a life-threatening or critical illness or an injury.
What is intensive care unit (ICU)?
Critical care unit is called intensive care unit (ICU) in which specialised nursing service is provided to the patients facing high-dependency, and life –threatening situations or issues. There are various types of ICU specialties, such as surgical, trauma, coronary, medical, paediatric, burns, cardiothoracic and high risk nurseries.
Critical care nurses
Nurses working in the ICU units are called critical care nurses. They work with a multidisciplinary team of doctors, consultants, physiotherapists and various other specialists to provide the safest and optimal care services to the patients.
Critical care nursing
- Mentally and physically demanding,
- Long hours shift including night shifts,
- Extensive patient handling and high-pressure conditions,
- Making sophisticated judgements quickly as patients in ICU are often unstable and can experience rapid physiological decline,
- Assisting physicians during procedures,
- Checking patients’ vital signs,
- Taking blood samples,
- Managing ventilation and life support equipment,
- Ordering diagnostic tests,
- Administering medication,
- Providing patients with personal care, such as bathing and dressing,
- Providing support and education to both the patient and the patient’s family,
- Liaising with the new team of another unit to ensure a safe transition.