Your Care Team and Helpful Tips
Each patient will have at least two assigned teams while in our unit. These will include a Primary team, as well as the Neuro ICU Team, which is staffed by Vanderbilt's Critical Care Anesthesia Department. Your nursing staff each shift will include one or more bedside nurses, a care partner, a "Help-All" or procedure nurse, and a Clinical Staff Leader (CSL). In addition, a patient may have one or more ancillary services consulted to assist in his or her care plan.
We have a strong collaborative network of services, including:
Respiratory Therapy; Speech Therapy; Occupational & Physical Therapy; Nutrition Services; Radiology; Dietary; Environmental & Guest Services, or Transport Services.
The traffic required to appropriately meet the needs of our patients in any given day can feel overwhelming at times. Please feel free to ask us to identify the teams we represent if you have questions.
There are many resources we can share with visitors and family members to help you understand the patient care process, as well as meeting your own needs while visiting and caring for your loved one in the ICU. Some of these are listed on this page to the left. Our Medical Receptionist, a representative from Guest Services, your bedside nurse, or your care partner can also help you find additional resources. Please ask us if you have any questions or concerns - we are glad to assist you.
Finding Your Way Around the Unit
The ICU floor is comprised of 23 ICU beds, and 12 Stepdown beds, but there are many other doors, corridors, and rooms making it difficult to find your way. There are purple EXIT signs placed at all junctions to guide you to the main entrance. Feel free to ask any staff members if you are unsure of which way to go. The map below will help you locate patient nutrition stations, visitor restrooms, and any other pertinent stops along the way.
