Advanced Clinical Consultation and Follow-up Services for ICU Patients

The Alfred Nursing Division established the position of the ICU liaison nurse (ICU LN) in order to provide assistance to nurses who are caring for critically ill patients in general wards who have recently been discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Advanced clinical consultation and follow-up services for ICU patients who are transferred to the general ward are provided to nurses throughout the hospital by the ICU LN. The hospital is a major metropolitan facility with 350 beds that serves a diverse patient population. The majority of patients require advanced, complex care. To help with aspects of acute patient clinical nursing management, the ICU LN provides additional roving nursing support. All over the hospital, the service has been well received. It is thought to have improved communication between the intensive care unit and the general ward, contributed to the continuity of care from the intensive care unit to the ward, and made it possible to identify patient deterioration early on and get specialist medical help. The ICU LN's role will be discussed and the service's implementation will be discussed in this paper. The first year in this position at The Alfred will also be talked about. Seventy-seven registered nurses agreed to participate in the study, which consisted of 14 groups consisting of four to seven people. The participants identified key concepts for personal qualities, practical skills, and desired theoretical knowledge. Personal characteristics were highly valued in these leadership roles, as professional behaviors were more frequently emphasized than theoretical knowledge or practical skills. A curriculum for ICU LN or critical care outreach nurse leadership roles in patient safety has been identified. The development of postgraduate courses and training requirements, as well as job descriptions and employer expectations regarding the required skill set for these leadership roles, may be influenced by these findings. Clinical deterioration-related patient safety is largely determined by clinicians from various disciplines who work independently or in multidisciplinary teams as part of an overall rapid response system. The development of rapid response systems has coincided with the important role that an Intensive Care Unit Nurse (ICU LN) or critical care outreach nurse plays in hospitals. Thanks&Regards Max Wilson Journal Coordinator