A typical day in ICU

We have a basic structure in ICU throughout the day, this varies due to clinical demand but the below is an overview of how the units run. ​

• Nursing staff will assist the patients to have a wash in the morning sometime between 06.00 and 07.00, this may in bed if they are sedated, or if they are well enough they are encouraged to sit in the chair to wash. If your loved-one is awake they will be asked what time they prefer to wash.
• 07.30 – 8.30 is nursing handover (shift start times vary slightly by hospital site)
• The ICU doctors handover in the morning from the night to the day team, they then have a ward round where they go to each patient, review them and make a clinical plan for the day. The dieticians, physiotherapists and pharmacists also review each patient every day.
• If your loved one is able to eat and drink, a hostess will come around each morning to get their food order for the day. The nursing staff can assist with this where necessary. Our support staff can also provide hot drinks and snacks throughout the day, a snack box can be arranged from the kitchen in-between meal times or overnight. If your loved one is not able to eat or drink themselves, they will have a tube which goes into their stomach via their nostril. Their nutrition and hydration requirements is calculated and prescribed by our unit dieticians.
• Throughout the day and night our patients are repositioned in bed every three–four hours to prevent pressure ulcers developing. Nursing and support staff also help the patients to clean their mouths at this time, as they can get dry if they are not eating and drinking.
• The medical team will aim to call each next of kin for an update between the hours of 14:00 and 18:00 each day. If you do not receive a call this may be because the unit has become very busy.
• 19.30 – 20.30 — nursing handover to night team
• 20.30 — evening consultant ward round with handover to medical night team.