When You Arrive
The bedside nurse is your greatest resource. They will welcome you and:
- Tell you about the services available while you are in the MSNICU.
- Get any other relevant information, such as advance directives, and coordinate with the most responsible physician.
- Help you get settled and comfortable as quickly as possible
- Answer any questions you may have
During Your Stay
Your Treatment
Monitoring Your Health
Your healthcare team will see you every day. We will talk with you about how you are doing and answer any questions you may have. If you want to speak with a member of your healthcare team at any other time, ask the nurse looking after you.
You may have blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans or other tests performed during your stay. If we recommend that you receive any of these tests, we will discuss them with you in advance, and we will meet with you afterward to discuss the results.
Visitors
We encourage you to have family members, friends and other supportive visitors during your stay. You are welcome to meet with visitors in your room, in the common lounge areas and in the visiting areas outdoors.
UHN hospitals offer flexible visiting hours. Learn more about visiting patients at UHN »
Amenities
Throughout our hospital, you and your family and other visitors can find a range of amenities to make your stay more enjoyable and comfortable. Learn more about amenities at UHN hospitals.
If you are from out of town, ask for a visitor's package at the Volunteer Desk or the ICU Desk. This package has information about where you can stay, Toronto Transit Maps (TTC), and other information you may find helpful.
There is a food court in the lobby of the Atrium. It is open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Some of the food stalls are closed on holidays.
There is underground parking at Toronto Western Hospital (entrance on Bathurst St.) There are also outdoor parking lots close to the hospital.
Pain Management
As your body heals, you may experience some pain and discomfort. Our goal is to make sure that you have as little pain as possible.
Managing your pain can help your recovery. Pain management can:
- Decrease the amount of stress on your body
- Promote healing
- Decrease complications
- Prevent the development of chronic or long-term pain
To manage your pain, we need to know what you are feeling. You can describe your pain on a number scale, where "0" means "no pain" and "10" means "the worst pain you can imagine." You can also describe your pain with words like:
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
- Sharp
- Achy
- Throbbing
These words can help us understand and treat your pain.
For mechanically ventilated and non-verbal patients, the health care team has developed ways to evaluate for pain using advanced assessment techniques. Your nurse will explain this to you.
Hand Washing
It is important to wash your hands well and often while you are in the hospital. Washing your hands will reduce the chances that you will become sick or get an infection.
It's okay to ask your doctor, nurse and other healthcare providers to wash or sanitize their hands using a gel hand sanitizer before examining you.
You can learn more about infection control at UHN.
For Families
Our goal is to work with you to provide the best possible care for your loved one. We know that having a seriously ill friend or family member is very stressful. We will do our best to provide support. By working together as a team, we can help you and your loved one cope with this stressful situation.
Our Visiting Policy in the ICU:
- We welcome visits from family and friends. Visits help the healing process of our patients.
- Don't visit if you are feeling sick, have a cough or fever, or have vomiting or diarrhea.
- Call the Critical Care Unit before entering the unit. Please use the intercoms.
- Try to have only 2 visitors come at a time. In special cases, we may allow more.
- Make sure children under the age of 12 have permission to visit from the bedside nurse. They must be with an adult at all times.
- Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the ICU and your loved one's room.
- Don't bring fresh flowers, food or latex products into the ICU.
- Remember to leave your valuables at home so they don't get lost or stolen.
Choosing a Spokesperson:
Please ask one person to be the main contact with the health care team. This person will receive updates from the team and pass the information on to family or friends.
Choosing a spokesperson reduces confusion, protects patient privacy and lets the health care team focus on what's most important - caring for your loved one. Please provide us with the name and contact number of this person.
Being present at Rounds:
Every day, the health care team talks about how your loved one is doing and how to continue their care. These meetings are called rounds. If the patient gives their consent (agrees), we welcome the family to attend rounds.
During rounds, you have a chance to:
- Share important information with the team
- Hear a quick update about your loved one's condition
- And have a chance to ask questions
If you are the Power of Attorney or legal decision maker for the patient's health-related decisions, please speak to the bedside nurse if you want to take part in rounds. They can guide you through the process.
Patient confidentiality (privacy) is very important to us. Help us by keeping all information about your loved one and other patients private.
Attending Family Meetings:
Sometimes, we need to speak to you and other family members in more detail about your loved one's care. In this case, we will arrange a family meeting. These meetings give you a chance to meet many of the team members and talk about your loved one's progress. We will work with you to schedule the meeting at a convenient time for everyone.
Helping with Daily Care:
Friends and family are a very important part of the care of patients. Please speak to a member of the healthcare team about how you can help care for your loved one.
Some examples of how you can help include:
- helping to bathe them
- combing their hair
- brushing their teeth
- helping them with leg and arm exercises
- talking with them
We can also teach you some ways to communicate with your loved one in case they are unable to talk. This is a very important and easy skill to learn.
You are an important part of your loved one's health care team, so you need to take care of yourself. Even though this is a stressful time, try to eat and sleep properly. Taking breaks away from the hospital is very important.
Remember: Your loved one will never be alone in the ICU.
How Long Will Your Stay Be?
The length of your stay will be based on your health care team's assessment of your condition. Soon after you arrive on the unit, we will discuss with you and your family how long your stay in the ICU may be.
Preparing for Your Transition
We will work with you and your family to start planning early for your transition out of the ICU. Once hemodynamically stable and off of mechanical ventilation, the inter-professional team takes care of your needs as you move from the ICU to an inpatient unit, home or the community.
If you have any questions about your discharge or your care needs before you leave the unit, don't be afraid to ask a member of your team. We are here to help you.
