Bay 6, or the Extended ICU, is a designated area within the Medical-Surgical ICU with the purpose of caring for patients who are stable and require more consistency and routine to meet patient and family goals of care.
The purpose of this part of the unit is to manage patients who still require life support technology, however need more of a focus on one or more of the following:
- rehabilitation
- a consistent approach to slow weaning from the ventilator
- supporting patients and families with a prognosis of ventilator-dependence
The focus of care within EICU is dependent upon the patient’s and/or the family’s wishes and goals of care. The goals of care may include establishing routines of advancing mobility and independence through rehabilitation, weaning and the management of chronically ventilated patients, or reducing monitoring requirements so that the patient is ready for transfer to another facility.
Why is my loved one in Bay 6?
Do the staff who work in Bay 6 also work in the rest of the Medical-Surgical ICU?
How can I get an update from the physician and the rest of the team in Bay 6?
Is there a time limit on how long a patient can be in Bay 6?
Why is my loved one in Bay 6?
Your loved one no longer requires the intensive monitoring of the main MSICU. However, the patient’s need for life support technology or monitoring means he or she must remain in the ICU.
The consistency of approach by a smaller team will often benefit the patient. For example, regular routine can help manage the sleep/wake cycle, allowing for a better quality of sleep and rest.
Do the staff who work in Bay 6 also work in the rest of the MSICU?
The ICU Consultants, RNs and RRTs rotate between the main Medical-Surgical ICU and Bay 6. The Physiotherapists, Nutritionist, and Social Worker work in both areas as well.
The one new face you will meet in Bay 6 is our Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Cathy Mawdsley . The CNS is the case manager for this part of the unit and provides continuity for patients and families during the patient’s stay in Bay 6.
How can I get an update from the Physician and the rest of the team in Bay 6?
The team rounds on patients in Bay 6 on Monday afternoons. The bedside nurse can provide you with a brief update over the phone, or a more detailed update at the bedside. If you would like to talk with the Consultant looking after your loved one, please let the bedside nurse know.
If you have family members unable to make a meeting in London, we can organize the meeting to include a telephone conference call for key family members.
Is there a time limit on how long a patient can be in Bay 6?
No. Your loved one will remain in Bay 6 for as long as the support provided there is required. If the patient has had a long stay in our MSICU, the approach to transfer planning from Bay 6 to the floor is different.
Please see the Clinical Nurse Specialist with any questions on next steps for your loved one in Bay 6.
