The Critical Care Center, also known as the Intensive Care Unit, provides the highest level of care available to critically ill patients. In the Critical Care Center, patients need rest. Nurses need to spend their time at the bedside caring for the patients.
Patients and visitors must be protected from infectious diseases, and patient privacy and confidentiality must be preserved.
Visitors to the Critical Care Center are allowed 24-hours-a-day, except from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. for nursing shift change. Visits are limited to immediate family members only, with no more than two visitors at a time.
If you wish to visit a Critical Care patient, please use the intercoms located outside the unit's doors to check first with the nurses' station. We also ask that you select a spokesperson to keep the family informed of the patient's progress so multiple family members do not need to call in to the Critical Care Center.
This spokesperson should be able to contact the nurse caring for the patient, and be available for the nurse to contact. The spokesperson can then contact and communicate with the other family members. CarePages are specifically designed to help family and friends keep in contact during hospitalization.
If
you need information or help with these guidelines, please call the Security Desk at ext. 4645, or use the visitor intercom outside the Critical Care Center to speak to the Charge Nurse. You can also call the hospital (818) 885-8500, ext. 5317, and ask for the Charge Nurse.
Visitor Guidelines
Please keep the following guidelines in mind when visiting the Critical Care Center.
- Be considerate of the needs of other visitors who may have similar issues and emotions as you and your family.
-
Keep the number of visitors in the waiting room to a minimum. The waiting area is not big enough to accommodate a large number of people, and we want to be fair to everyone. We suggest that one or two family representative stay in the Critical Care Center waiting room, while the remainder of your group waits in the more spacious cafeteria area or first floor lobby.
- Please do not bring children under age 12 to the waiting area unless absolutely necessary, and please do not leave them unsupervised. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome on the first floor lobby or in the cafeteria.
- To help keep the waiting area clean for everyone, do not bring in meals, picnics, or packaged food items. Covered drinks are OK. Food is available in the cafeteria on the basement level and vending machines are on the first floor.
-
Please do not sleep in the waiting room. We have a list of local hotels available at the 24-hour Security Desk.
-
To ensure everyone has a place to sit, do not put items on unused seats.
-
Please do not sit on the floors in the waiting area or in the hallways.
-
No live flowers or plants are allowed in the Critical Care Center, nor may we permit visitors to bring food without checking with the nurse first.
-
We encourage cards, letters, and small mementos that may be safety left at the patient's bedside. If you have questions, ask the nurse caring for your loved one.
-
In some situations, a patient who has been a victim of a violent crime may be admitted under special circumstances for safety reasons. If this is the case with your loved one, the Trauma Volunteers, Trauma Coordinators, or Critical Care Charge Nurse will assist you in understanding special visiting restrictions and conditions.
