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Which medical staff work with critically ill patients?
An intensive care unit is a complex hospital unit that requires knowledge, experience, and skills to handle patients. Examples of people that work in the critical care unit include certified nutritionists, certified nurses, and qualified doctors. The nutritionist is responsible for monitoring the nutritional status of the patient and coming up with dietary supplements that will ensure recovery for the patient (Shuldham, 2015). The nurse on the other hand has different responsibilities, which include monitoring of the vital signs, offering medications, ensure proper body hygiene, and detect any health deterioration signs (Shuldham, 2015). The doctor also monitors the patient, reviews the current treatment regime, and ensures the treatment procedures are followed as prescribed.
What is a PICC line? Why is it used on ICU patients?
PICC lines are an initial for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter. These lines can either have multiple or single lumens. The line with double lumen has two separate openings on the same catheter. The double lumen allows medications and solutions that are not compatible to be given simultaneously. The PICC has a soft, thin, and flexible tube that is used to give intravenous medications. In some cases, blood can be obtained through the tube and used for laboratory tests. Insertion of this catheter requires a doctor or a nurse plus an ultrasound machine to detect the veins on the upper arm. The PICC line is used in ICU patients to obtain blood for laboratory analysis, to offer drugs and medications to the patient via intravenous lines because most ICU patients are unconscious or semiconscious and require regular medications and fluids. Patients in the intensive care unit are medically ill or critically ill (Shuldham, 2015). Most of these patients use the PICC line because they are elderly; have complications like recovery from trauma, recovery from surgery and multiple existing conditions.
Paperless hospitals exist (electronic charting). How well can data-gathering equipment (monitoring) communicate with data storage equipment (computers) and staff
It is true that some hospitals have embraced technology by doing away with the use of paper and introducing electronic gadgets in communication, gathering data and storing the data. There are different data collection equipment. Some of them include recorders like radios, papers, taking pictures (Kim, 2016). These equipment have levels of accuracy that can produce accurate data before the data is stored and presented to the society. Knowledge plays an important role in communication between data storage equipment and staff. The staff must have adequate knowledge for them manage machines like computers. For example, computers can store information. Some of the storage methods include excels spreadsheet, which requires knowledge in order to handle mathematical data and other forms of data (Kim, 2016). Data gathering equipment can communicate with data storage equipment through proper installation of these equipment in a system under the presence of available financial aid.
- Kim, R. (2016). The U.S. Hospital Management from a Strategic Management Viewpoint. Journal of Hospital & Medical Management, 2(1).
- Shuldham, C. (2015). The nurse on the intensive care unit. Intensive Care Nursing, 1(4), 181- 186.