Intensive Care

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Intensive Care Unit: Monash Medical Centre, Clayton

The Intensive Care Unit at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton is a 20 bed combined adult and paediatric unit. It is one of only very few units in Australia offering a service to both adults and paediatrics within the one unit.  The unit cares for critically ill patients and is considered unique in Australia for providing such a broad range of services.  Specialised services include cardiothoracics, renal, neurology, obstetrics, surgical and general adult and paediatrics.  The unit has recently been renovated, with the construction of spacious patient bed areas and brand new equipment. This has seen the addition of a four bed dedicated paediatric section, new visitor waiting room, staff tea room, conference room and offices spaces.

Nurses within the department practice at an advanced level instigating many protocol-driven, as well as nurse initiated activities.  Invasive and non-invasive ventilation, full haemodynamic monitoring, including the use of swan ganz catheters, inotropic therapy, continuous veno-venous haemodiafiltration and intra-aortic balloon pumping are all modalities of care regularly used in the unit.  Other therapies include extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation and the use of nitric oxide ventilation. 

 

Intensive Care Unit: Dandenong Hospital

Dandenong Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a recently commissioned 14 bed unit designed to accommodate the highly technical and care specific needs of critically ill and high dependency patients.  Cutting edge bed area design encompassing multiple mobile power and medical gas points, individual overhead patient lifting apparatus, spacious work areas, direct vision to the cental nursing desk and the provision of natural light, provide flexibility with bed utilisation and staff assignment.

The ICU provides specialised medical and nursing care to medical, surgical and trauma patients. A significant proportion of patients arrive from the emergency department and post op via the operating theatre. Referrals from the general wards and regional hospitals unable to provide the level of care required for their patients are also routinely made and contribute to the unit admission profile.

The ICU offers important outreach services to the hospital wards and departments. Established in 1998, the Medical Emergency Team (MET), comprised of an intensive care nurse, doctor and medical registrar, provides a rapid response to ward initiated calls for assistance with seriously ill patients. The ICU Liaison Nurse Service assists patients and their families with the transition from the ICU to general ward environment and provides expert clinical advice and support to ward staff in the care of post ICU patients.

Unit staff benefit from improved facilities including access to external courtyards, a secure locker room and an internal seminar / education room.  A designated family conference room, enlarged waiting room with kitchen and bathroom facilities and access to an external courtyard provide improved comfort and consideration to family members and relatives.