The bedside nurse is your greatest resource. They will welcome you and:
- Tell you about the services available while you are in the MSNICU.
- Obtain relevant information from you, such as advance directives, and co-ordinate with the most responsible physician.
- Help you get settled and comfortable as quickly as possible.
- Answer any questions you may have.
Monitoring Your Health
Your health care 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 health care 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.
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
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 is okay to ask your doctor, nurse and other health care providers to wash or sanitize their hands using a gel hand sanitizer before examining you.
You can learn more about
infection control at UHN.
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. UHN hospitals offer flexible visiting hours. Please speak with your nurse to co-ordinate visiting times in order to ensure that patient care needs are optimized.
Please talk to a nurse if you have any questions about our visiting policy.
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.
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.
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.
