About Frankston Hospital ICU
The Frankston Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU), admits more than 800 intensive care and high dependency patients annually. The ICU is affiliated with Monash and Deakin Universities and provides modern and up to date care. It is a level III accredited Intensive Care Unit (JFICM) and provides services which include: renal replacement therapy, intra-aortic balloon pump, nitric oxide therapy, and can accommodate ECMO therapy.
Frankston Hospital has completed a $45 million dollar refurbishment which included a state-of-the-art, modern ICU development which increased the ICU bed capacity to 13. Building works were completed late in 2010 and the ICU now comprises a state of the art purpose built facility.
ICU Staff
Each day the unit is staffed by an intensivist, a senior registrar and a resident. Associate Professor John Botha is the Director of the Intensive Care Unit, and the senior ICU consultant team consists of Associate Professor Ian Carney, Dr Kavi Haji, Dr Ravi Tiruvoipati, Dr Sachin Gupta and Dr Mainak Majumdar. The junior medical staff are six registrars and four residents. The unit is classified as a C12 unit by the College of Critical Care Medicine for advanced training in intensive care.
The Nurse Unit Manager is Claire Allen-Terry / Sue Reaper (Maternity Leave), who is assisted by an experienced team of associate nurse managers (ANUM). Each shift is managed by an ANUM who is supported by a Team Leader. There are approximately 80 nurses employed in the ICU. Each member of the senior management team maintains a portfolio, including Quality, eLearning, Equipment, Infection Control, Resuscitation, Pain Management and various other administrative roles which ensure our standards of practice are current, evidence-based and are introduced to improve care for patients who are admitted.
True multidisciplinary care is provided with dedicated pharmacists, dieticians, physiotherapists and speech therapists constituting an integral part of the ICU team.
The Intensive Care Unit has one educator and a full time Clinical Support and Development Nurse who work in conjunction to facilitate new staff, undergraduate students, graduate nurses, and post graduate critical care students. Our structured 2 day Clinical Update Program is attended by all nursing staff annually. In addition twice weekly in-services provide further opportunities for education. New nursing staff receive a full orientation to the unit in conjunction with a preceptored period. This is further supported by our clinical development program beginning at basic level and progressing nursing staff through to an advanced level of critical care practice.
There is an active medical training program for all medical staff and the BASIC course is conducted on site four times a year. Access to the simulation centre compliments the educational program.
The ICU actively participates in research, and there are two research coordinators employed by the unit who coordinate both investigator-initiated and industry studies. The research department is a member of the ANZICS Clinical Trials Group.
There is also a dedicated database manager and all admissions are recorded and the data is submitted to the ANZICS database. These data are used for mortality and morbidity meetings and research projects.
Innovations and Future Directions
The hospital has introduced the Critical Care Liaison Nurse Service, which is available seven days a week. The Liaison Nurses follow up all patients discharged from intensive care to the wards and provide support to ward nurses through ongoing education. This service also provides prompt assessment of deteriorating patients on the ward. Through this service re-admission rates to ICU and patient outcomes should improve.
Frankston Hospital has also been targeted as a hospital that will participate in a nationwide initiative to improve the rate of organ donation. In 2009 an intensivist and critical care nurse were appointed to champion organ donation initiatives on site.
The department has entered an exciting era of development and with the new facilities and a commitment to high quality research and evidence based practice Frankston ICU will continue to provide outstanding care of the critically ill.
