ICU staff give an institution heart.
It takes teamwork to be an angel.
That’s the discovery you’ll make if you spend any time with the Campbell River Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and its team of angels.
The ICU is not a place where you want to be but if you have to be there, you’ll come to appreciate the ICU staff. They not only get patients through their treatment under frequently trying conditions, they also help the families get through the ordeal.
“It’s not just the medical needs, it’s also looking after the family, supporting them through some of the really hard times when a loved one is sick,” said Connie Walters, ICU Clinical Coordinator. And that support involves helping a family get through the worst kind of news that can sometimes be the reality of medical care.
The Campbell River ICU is an adult care unit that looks after anyone from 18 years old to 90 years old who are dealing with a variety of health issues. After treatment has been applied in emergency or some other ward, they are sent to the ICU to continue treatment and or recovery.
It’s because the patients and families are enduring some of the most difficult times, their emotions are raw and open. The ICU staff at the Campbell River Hospital are frequently the recipient of some of the most heartfelt gratitude that can be expressed and that even comes through when the path of an illness comes to an inevitable but tragic conclusion.
As one person who nominated the ICU for a Local Hero award said, “When you are at your absolute worst, this band of angels is at its absolute best, 24/7.”
But it’s not just one person who provides this support it’s a diverse group of medical professionals that include doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, admitting personnel, cleaning staff or what have you.
There’s a special spirit in the ICU and it finds it’s heart in the diverse group of medical professionals that staff the unit. But it goes beyond credentials, training and qualifications. It stems from a caring attitude that permeates the whole unit. Everybody takes their job seriously but never lose the human touch.
Despite the Campbell River Hospital being still a brand new, state-of-the-art medical facility, it doesn’t lose sight of the fact that this is a community hospital. And it’s a personal connection for the ICU staff.
“It truly is a community hospital,” says Craig McDermid, a Respiratory Therapist at the hospital. “These are people you would see out in the community.”
“People you would know if you grew up here,” adds Melissa Egan, a Nursing Unit Assistnt.
One of the strongest characteristics of the ICU is the sense of togetherness amongst the staff. Everyone works together and everyone’s input is cultivated and respected. Everyone is valued.
“It truly is a team,” says Egan.
And that positive working environment is picked up by the patients and their families. The care the ICU team gives is always appreciated. Families frequently send letters or cards to the unit thanking them for the care that a loved one received.
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