Patient Diaries
Patients admitted to ICU for 72+ hours are eligible for a 'Patient Diary' which is kept at the patient bedside with their clinical files. It is common for ICU patients to have gaps in their recollection of their admission. Research suggests that patients experience stress and anxiety when they do not fully comprehend the extent of their illness. This can manifest as recurring nightmares and hallucinations. Patient diaries help alleviate these symptoms by providing information related to the patient's activities and events in ICU.
All ICU staff and family members can write in the diaries. Doctors, in particular, are encouraged to create diary entries. At the time of ICU discharge, a senior nursing staff member presents the diary to the patient who can decide whether he/she would like to keep it.
Feedback through the Bendigo Health Post-ICU clinic report the diaries as being extremely beneficial.
All ICU staff and family members can write in the diaries. Doctors, in particular, are encouraged to create diary entries. At the time of ICU discharge, a senior nursing staff member presents the diary to the patient who can decide whether he/she would like to keep it.
Feedback through the Bendigo Health Post-ICU clinic report the diaries as being extremely beneficial.