The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) provides specialized care for critically ill and high-risk patients who require continuous monitoring, treatment and support. MGH’s ICU is networked with Critical Care Services of Ontario (CCSO) and is up to date on best practices in critical care.
Our Critical Care Team provides evidence-based care using specialized monitoring, critical care technology and clinical expertise. Patients are cared for by an interprofessional team that works together to support patients and their families throughout their ICU stay.
The ICU has 19 beds and is located on J2. The unit provides intensive medical care, continuous monitoring and support for people who are critically ill or require a higher level of care.
An ICU stay can be unfamiliar and overwhelming for patients and families. The Critical Care Team is available to answer questions, explain what you are seeing and hearing and help you understand your loved one’s care.
Family and friends can play an important role in a patient’s care and recovery. MGH welcomes family and friends according to the patient’s wishes and the needs of the care team.
Please review MGH’s Visiting a Patient webpage for general visiting information, including how to get to MGH.
For the safety of patients, please do not visit if you are feeling unwell or have symptoms of an infection. Please clean your hands when entering and leaving a patient's room and follow any additional instructions from the healthcare team.
Washing your hands is the best way to stop the spread of infection. Please wash your hands using the alcohol based hand rub before entering the ICU, before entering a patient’s room, after leaving a patient’s room and after leaving the ICU.
When you arrive to the ICU, please pick up the phone on the wall beside the main ICU door and you will be connected to a staff member that will buzz you in once they have checked the visitors list.
There may be times when you are asked to wait before entering your loved one’s room. This may be because the team is providing treatment or completing an assessment.
We ask that all visitors call the ICU before coming to the hospital. This helps us make sure that your loved one is not in the middle of a treatment. We can also coordinate care and provide privacy for all patients.
If you would like to bring items from home: please check with the nurse first. For example, plants and flowers aren’t allowed because of the bacteria that grow in potted soil and standing water. This may harm your loved one.
Communication is an important part of critical care. The bedside ICU nurse is a key resource for updates about your loved one’s condition and care. The nurse works closely with the ICU physician and the rest of the healthcare team.
You are welcome to ask questions about your loved one’s care and progress.
To help protect patient privacy, the healthcare team will communicate with the patient’s Power of Attorney (POA) for personal care or Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) or another person identified by the patient where appropriate. The POA/SDM can share information with other family members and friends. This ensures privacy of information. It also gives the staff a contact person in case we need to speak with a family member.
If you are not the POA/SDM, the ICU team may not be able to give you any information, unless the patient has told us it is okay. We may not share certain information over the telephone.
Please make sure the nurse has the SDM’s contact information and/or a copy of the POA document for personal care. Please let us know if your loved one has any special needs, cultural or religious beliefs. This information will help us provide more personalized care.
The ICU can look and sound different from other areas of the hospital. Your loved one may be connected to monitors, tubes or other equipment. The healthcare team can explain what you are seeing and answer your questions.
Each ICU room has the latest technology to care for your loved one. Here is some of the equipment staff may use with your loved one to help with their care:
A cardiac monitor continuously tracks vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.
A patient may have intravenous tubes (IV), tubes or drains as part of their treatment. IV lines can deliver fluids and medications. Medications can help keep your loved one comfortable. The nurse can explain the purpose of any tubes or drains you see.
Some patients may need wrist restraints to prevent them from accidentally removing important tubes. Patients may also experience swelling after receiving large amounts of IV fluid; this can improve as their condition improves.
An oximeter goes on a fingertip or the ear and looks like a clothes peg. An oximeter measures the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Some patients need help breathing. Depending on their condition, this may include oxygen through nasal prongs or a mask, a non-invasive breathing machine such as BiPAP or a ventilator.
Patients receiving ventilator support have a breathing tube in place, which means they cannot speak while thew tube is in place. The care team can help patients use other ways to communicate. Patients receiving certain types of brething support may also need nutrition through a feeding tube or another method.
A breathing tube is removed when the patient is ready to breathe independently. A patient’s voice may be hoarse afterward and usually improved over time.
A lot of the equipment makes noise. Because patients are attached to monitors, moving in bed may trigger alarms or beeps from the machines. Most alarms do not mean an emergency. If you have concerns, a nurse can answer your questions about what you see and hear.
The ICU is supported by an interprofessional team. Depending on your loved one’s needs, you may meet different members of the team during their stay.
A physician who specializes in caring for critically ill patients and oversees and coordinates ICU care. Intensivists rotate through the unit, so the physician may change during a patient’s stay.
A senior resident physician receiving specialized training in Critical Care.
A resident physician who works under the direct supervision of the ICU physician (intensivist).
A specialist who provides advice on a specific aspect of care. For example, a Cardiologist has extra training to care for heart conditions.
A Critical Care-trained registered nurse who provides day-to-day nursing care and works closely with the ICU physician. The bedside nurse is an important resource for questions and patient-care updates.
Supports nurses with personal care and helps ensure patient rooms and care areas have needed supplies.
Supports medication management, including reviewing reconciling medications.
Assesses and treat patients with breathing difficulties and supports different methods of assisted breathing.
Ensures patients receive safe and high-quality care and oversees and coordinates ICU activities.
Supports mobility, range of motion and recovery, and may provide breathing exercises and other therapies.
Assess swallowing and helps determine what food and fluids are safe for a patient.
Develops nutrition care plans based on a patient’s needs and condition.
Provides emotional and practical support to patients and families, helps with family meetings and communication and can connect families with community resources.
Provides spiritual care and guidance for different faiths, religions, and non-denominational care, and can reach out to different religious leaders in our community.
Can support patients, families and healthcare teams when they are facing difficult healthcare decisions.
The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program team at Michael Garron Hospital ensures that patients get the right drug for the right bug at the right time.
The Critical Care Response Team (CCRT) is available 24 hours/7 days per week. The CCRT includes a specially trained physician, nurse and respiratory therapist.
The CCRT assess, investigates, and treats patients who need further help. The CCRT will check on patients who have recently left the ICU. Any member of the care team can call the CCRT to see a patient.
What to bring:
Personal items can be comforting and useful during an ICU stay. Please check with the nurse before bringing items to the bedside. Items you may wish to bring:
What to leave at home:
The ICU is not responsible for lost or missing items, including electronic devices. It’s a good idea to label the items you bring, in case they are misplaced.
Recovery from critical illness is different for every person. Patients may experience ups and downs as they recover. The ICU team monitors for complications associated with critical illness and adjusts treatment as needed.
When a patient no longer needs ICU-level care, the ICU team will determine when they are ready to move to another inpatient unit or an appropriate next setting. The receiving unit will have a different care team focused on the patient’s ongoing recovery and care needs.
