ICU ward rounds

Patients in Intensive Care are reviewed many times a day by the various different staff involved in their care, and continuously by the nurse at the bedside.

Medical assessment

The medical staff will usually do a full patient assessment at the start of every shift (both day and night shift). This will include things like the patient's vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, etc), their blood results, X rays, medications and medical notes, among others.  

Ward rounds

A ward round is also done at the start of each shift (both day and night). The ward round during the day usually involves many different members of the ICU staff: the doctors, nurses, pharmacist, dietitian, etc. The patient will be reviewed in detail, and the relevant members of the ICU team will be invited to make recommendations for patient care, based on their own expertise. The ward round is where many of the decisions for the daily plan care are made. These are very carefully documented in the patient's medical notes and regularly reviewed.