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Table of Content
How to Receive Updates from the Medical Team
Rounding Times
Every day the ICU medical team meets at each patient’s bedside to review their progress, examine them, and make a plan for the day. This is called medical rounds. Rounds usually begin around 9:00 am and can continue until the early afternoon. There are also handover rounds around 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm during changeover of medical staff.
What Rounds Involve
During rounds the team reviews the patient’s current medical management, completes a physical assessment, discusses results and investigations, and agrees on goals for the day. This may also involve speaking with other medical, surgical or allied health teams to seek advice or coordinate treatment.
Families are welcome to be present during ward rounds. Occasionally, families may be asked to step outside for a short time for clinical or logistical reasons. This may include urgent patient care, procedures, space limitations, patient privacy, teaching, or when sensitive information needs to be discussed. We appreciate your understanding if this happens and will invite you back to the bedside as soon as it is appropriate.
How to Receive Updates from the Medical Team
When families are present during rounds, the team may be able to provide a brief update and answer quick questions where possible. More detailed conversations about important changes, treatment decisions or complex questions are often deferred until later in the day, once ward rounds for all ICU patients have been completed. This allows the team to safely review every patient and then make time for a more private and focused discussion with you.
If your family needs more time to ask questions or clarify the plan, please speak with the bedside nurse. They can help organise a time to speak with the medical team, or arrange a family conference where this would be helpful.
More Information
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Patient Safety
Patient safety is an essential component of high-quality care provided in the ICU. Our team have worked hard to establish a number of tools and strategies that ensures the ICU provides safe care, in the context of evidence-based practice and the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) requirements.
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Beyond Critical Care
Leaving critical care and going to the ward is an important step in your recovery process as your ICU stay only plays a small part in your journey in hospital. The following information will help you and your family learn more about the ward environment and provide information about your recovery process.
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