Critical Care at Landmark Medical Center

CRITICAL CARE UNIT

What is the Critical Care Unit?

Landmark’s Critical Care Unit is designed to promote speedy recovery of our acutely ill patients. We achieve this by providing specialized medical attention, intensive nursing care, and on-going observation.

This unit is for our patients who are experiencing medical conditions such as severe respiratory distress, hemorrhaging, shock, cardiopulmonary arrests, cardiac problems, as well as some post-operative situations. The unit is staffed by highly trained registered nurses who specialize in critical care.

All patients can be seen visually from the nursing station located at the center of the unit. A computerized cardiac monitoring system continually gauges each patient’s heartbeat with visible and audible signals that alert the medical team if an issue arises.

Most patients stay in the Critical Care Unit for only a few days, after which their improved condition allows for transfer to a Medical/Surgical floor or to our 26-bed Progressive Care Unit.

For Visiting Families

We understand it can often be a traumatic experience for visitors to see a loved one in the Critical Care Unit. Always remember, however, that the specially educated staff and advanced equipment at Landmark Medical Center help us provide the best care possible. Please do not hesitate to ask questions or to express your concerns.

Because it is so critical for patients in the Critical Care Unit to rest, visitors should be limited to immediate family. No more than three visitors are allowed at one time at the patient's bedside.

Children under 12 years of age should not visit. Infants and small children must remain in the hospital lobby with adult supervision to prevent disruption to other patients. Family may visit at any time.

Should the nurse need to attend to the patient or he/she feels that the visitor's presence is detrimental to the patient's well-being, he/she may ask the visitor to leave.

Visitors must use the telephone outside of the Critical Care Unit before entering. If the nurse is busy with the patient at the time, you will be asked to wait in the waiting area until the patient is ready to receive visitors.

At the time of admission, one family member should be designated as the contact person. He/she can then relay information to other family members. Remember that every telephone call takes the nurse away from his/her patients.

Please remember that Landmark is a non-smoking facility, and smoking is not allowed in any area of the hospital, including outside on hospital grounds.

Food and beverages are not allowed in the patient's room. Noise should be kept to a minimum.

There is a cordless telephone available for patient use, if necessary. Calls are not to be made or received on the nursing station telephones.