Intensive/Critical Care Unit

The Intensive/Critical Care Unit at Southwest Memorial Hospital has six beds for patients requiring specialized medical and nursing care, two of which are “step-down” beds for patients who are too critical to be in a standard inpatient room (perhaps in need of extremely close monitoring) but not in such serious condition that they require the ICU bed.
  
Patients in the ICU are usually experiencing life threatening or potentially life threatening conditions. For this reason, there is one nurse for every 1-2 patients being cared for in this area. State of the art cardiac and pulmonary monitoring equipment is at each bedside.  

Visitors and family play an important part in the healing and well being of patients. There are no specific visiting hours, however visiting is discouraged between 6 – 7 a.m. and 6 – 7 p.m. which are shift change times when nurses are especially busy. Visitors are limited to two at a time and children 12 and under are allowed in only at the discretion of the nursing staff. Visitors with infections are not allowed in the ICU. During certain procedures and in special instances the nursing staff may temporarily close visiting. The hospital provides a lovely waiting room for friends and family of ICU patients. It is located just a few yards down the hall from the unit.  

Cards and notes are encouraged. Live plants and flowers are not allowed because they have the potential of harboring bacteria or pollens which may cause a delay in the healing process. Space is limited, and patient care requirements must come first.