Unit Description

Welcome to the Bendigo Hospital Intensive Care Unit!
 
The purpose of this document is to orientate you to the Unit and give you an outline of what is expected of you during your period with us.
 
The following are included here:
  • Summary of your role & daily duties
  • Outline of daily ward routine & business functions
  • Daily ward round presentation

Key contacts

Intensivists:
  • Jason Fletcher (Clinical Unit Head)
  • Cameron Knott (Deputy Clinical Unit Head) 
  • Emma Broadfield (Supervisor of Training)
  • Janice Yeung
  • Vijay Paliniswamy
  • Tim Chimunda (HMO Supervisor)
  • Caleb Fisher
  • John Dyett (4 weekends per year)
  • Sanjay Porwal
Nurse Unit Manager: Darcy Bales

ICU Clinical Nurse Consultant: Jenni Tuena
For more details, see Team members and Useful contacts.

Unit details

  • ​Combined ICU/CCU: 20 physical bed spaces, 7 staffed ICU (1:1) beds
  • 7 ventilators (used for both invasive and non-invasive ventilation)
  • 3 transport ventilators & 1 MRI compatible transport ventilator
  • 3 haemofilters
  • IABP
  • Ultrasound/Echo

Nursing shifts

There are three nursing shifts each day:
07:00 - 15:15
13:30 - 22:00
21:30 - 07:30
 
The staff for each shift comprises Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM) and 6 patient-care nurses, and an ACCESS (Assistance, Coordination, Contingency, Education, Supervision, Support) Nurse – the ACCESS nurse also attends all Code Blue and MET calls. An ICU Liaison nurse is present for at least one shift per day.

Nurse-patient ratios

Patients designated ICU 1:1 
Patients on invasive ventilation or, haemofilter. Patients with behavioural disturbance, on full-face NIV and vasoactives will be nursed according to acuity
 
Patients designated ICU 1:2 (HDU)  
All other patients in ICU, based on clinical acuity and nursing burden.