Useful information! Please keep this ICU "visiting secrets" and the nurse will teach you how to use it correctly

When a dear family member is admitted to the ICU, we seem to be suddenly dragged into a battle to save their lives. Don't panic! This "ICU Visiting Secrets" by the ICU nurses of Hunan Want Want Hospital will help you become a smart visitor and walk into the ICU door to increase the energy of love for the patients.

【 Time Management Station 】

Golden visiting hours: 16:00 to 16:20 every day

Admission: Immediate family members or other relatives and friends with permission are allowed to enter 2 people at a time and take turns to visit.

Knowledge: Short visiting time does not mean that medical staff do not pay attention! Because emergency treatment may occur at any time in the ICU, we will plan visiting time in advance so that family members can relieve the anxiety of patients being alone in the ICU by accompanying them at the bedside. Medical staff will complete most of the daytime treatments before visiting, and the full-time nurse will provide daily care for the patients: including oral, perineal, skin care, full-body sponge baths, various drainage tubes and wound care; complete various bedside examinations, rehabilitation treatments, respiratory function exercises, etc., and try to give family members enough time.

【 Equipment Checkpoint 】

What you must bring: A healing smile and a gentle voice; prepare daily necessities according to the list provided by medical staff.

Prohibited: Respiratory viruses such as influenza.

Check before entering: hat + mask + visiting gown, all are worn correctly.

Knowledge: Make sure your hands are clean before and after visiting. Use the hand washing facilities or hand disinfectant provided by the hospital to prevent cross infection and protect the health of patients and visiting family members. Visitors who have respiratory infectious diseases such as colds should actively inform the hospital that they are not allowed to visit.

Attached is a list of daily necessities: towels, pillows, water cups, toothbrushes (soft bristles), toothpaste, straws, socks, paper towels, diapers, nursing pads and other daily necessities.

【 Energy Transmission Station 】

Best lineup: Emotionally stable family and friends group (limited to 2 people each time)

Communication tips: "We have been waiting for you to come home" and "Don't worry, the medical staff will help you."

Touch magic: Gently touch the patient's hand with your hand, and hold the patient's hand appropriately to transfer energy.

Knowledge: Keep communicating with patients, tell them about the outside world, say something positive, and gentle encouragement can inspire patients' confidence in overcoming the disease and make them feel the care and support of their families. With the permission of medical workers, physical contact can be made, so that patients who cannot express themselves can feel the warm energy transmitted by fingertips and palms.

【 Visiting Taboo Station 】

1. Child visitation

2. Tear Bomb

3. Record Video

Popular knowledge: Children cannot follow the visiting rules well and may accidentally trigger the equipment alarm out of curiosity; many family members will break down and cry loudly when they see the patient's body full of tubes. Negative emotions will increase the patient's anxiety level and make the patient mistakenly believe that the condition is more serious than it actually is; a small number of family members secretly take videos of the patients without the consent of medical staff during the visit. Most patients have various drainage tubes on their bodies, and the patient's privacy may be exposed if they are not careful.

【 Post-visit replenishment station 】

1. After a brief communication with your family and medical staff, if you have any other questions or special care needs, you can tell the responsible nurse and we will do our best to resolve your doubts;

2. After the visit, you need to keep your phone open. If the patient's condition changes or other special circumstances occur, the doctor will notify you by phone;

3. If the doctor informs you that the patient will be transferred out of the ICU in the near future, you can pass the message to other family members and discuss the accompanying plan after the patient is transferred out of the ICU;

4. Maybe after the visit, you will feel depressed and worried about the progress of the disease. Talk to other family members in time, get help from your loved ones, and recharge yourself, because you are the patient’s strongest support!

Each ICU is a customized battlefield and a special care area for restarting health. Let us visit with wisdom and guard the light of hope with warmth!

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Huang Chun, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hunan Want Want Hospital

Follow @湖南医聊 to get more health science information!

(Edited by YT)