1. The Intensive Care Unit
The Canberra Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) provides quality, around-theclock care for critically ill patients from the ACT and South-Eastern NSW.
The Unit is staffed by specially trained professionals and contains up to date
medical equipment to ensure your loved one receives the best possible care.
If you are unsure of where to find the Unit, volunteer guides can help point you
in the right direction and escort you to the Unit if required. The volunteers can
be found in the main entry foyer, or you can ask at the main reception desk.
2. Visiting the Intensive Care Unit
We recognise and value the important part family and friends play in our
patients’ recovery. We understand that having a member of your family or
close friend admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can be an overwhelming
experience. We hope the following information assists you in your visit to our
Unit.
 Hours
We try to be as flexible and accommodating as we can with visiting hours.
 Who Can Visit?
Visiting in the ICU is generally restricted to immediate family with no more
than two people visiting at any one time (but this restriction is not set in stone).
Children accompanied by an adult are encouraged to visit, if you wish.
 Access to the Intensive Care Unit
All the patients within the ICU are critically ill and may need frequent and
complex procedures. The doors to the Unit are on a magnetic release system
which allows us to provide a safe and secure environment for our patients.
The doors also help prevent the spread of infection.
To access the Unit, please use the intercom system which is mounted on the
left hand side of the corridor leading to the ICU. The intercom is labelled ‘ICU
Intercom’. Please push the top silver button labelled “Brindabella” once, and
wait until your call is answered. Please advise the staff member who answers
your call who it is you wish to visit. We will endeavour to have the nurse
looking after your loved one collect you from the waiting area, but sometimes
this is not always possible. In this case, the staff member answering your
enquiry will check that your loved one can have visitors and either release the
doors to allow you to come through, or ask you to wait in the waiting area.
Sometimes we do have to ask family and friends to wait before being able to
visit but please know that we will only ask you to wait when it is in the absolute
best interests of our patient (for example, during ward rounds (to maintain
patient confidentiality), or if they are undergoing a medical procedure). If you
feel that you have been waiting a particularly long time, please let us know.
3. Inside the Unit
When visiting the Unit you are welcome to ask nursing staff about your loved
one’s care. You are encouraged to communicate, touch, and when
appropriate, participate in your loved one’s care (for example – brushing hair,
washing face and hands). You may also bring in photos and music
(headphones / earplugs will be required) to help provide a sense of familiarity.
Please be mindful of other patients within the Unit and keep voices to a
reasonable level.
 Staff
The team looking after your loved one might include: chaplains, cleaners,
clerical staff, dieticians, medical and nursing staff, pharmacists,
physiotherapists, radiographers, social workers, speech pathologists, ward
assistants, ward clerks and wardsmen. Rostering staff enables the provision
of 24/7 care for your loved one, so please be aware that the nurse or doctor
you see on any one day may change the next. The standard of care and
concern for your loved one however, will be consistent and remain paramount.
Within the nursing and medical teams there is a structure, or hierarchy.
Nursing staff include your loved one’s bedside nurse, the team leader (a
senior registered nurse), and the Clinical Nurse Consultant. Nursing staff
deliver all bedside care and constantly assess the condition of your loved one,
managing the minute by minute delivery of organ support and treatment as
prescribed by the medical team.
Medical staff attending your loved one might include Resident Medical
Officers, ICU Registrars, ICU Senior Registrars, ICU Staff Specialists, and
Registrars and Specialists from other disciplines.
The Canberra Hospital is a teaching hospital and the ICU hosts Resident
Medical Officers as they rotate through the various disciplines within the
hospital. The Unit also hosts fourth year medical students. Please note that
medical students will not be actively involved in your loved one’s treatment
plan.
 Equipment
The Unit contains medical equipment that supports organ function and allows
continuous observation of vital signs. Most of the equipment can be
monitored from the central desk as well as from the bedside. From time to
time the equipment makes noise – please don’t be alarmed should they
gurgle, beep or hiss – it’s not always what the TV shows would suggest!
Equipment you might encounter in the Unit includes:
 Ventilators (breathing machines) – assists the patient to maintain a clear
airway
 Urinary catheter – drains urine from the bladder and allows measurement
of fluid expulsion
 Intravenous lines – may be inserted in veins in the arm, leg, neck, chest or
groin to allow access for fluids and medications via drip or injection
 Arterial Line – inserted into an artery in either the arm or groin to facilitate
the taking of blood samples, and to allow continuous blood pressure
readings
 Nasogastric or Orogastric Tube – passes from the nose or mouth directly
to the stomach allowing the supply of nutrients, and the drainage of
stomach secretions
 Monitors – detect heart rate, heart rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen levels
and respiratory rates
 Chest Drains – inserted through the chest wall to drain air, blood and other
fluids following surgery
 Dialysis Machine – acts as an artificial kidney and removes waste products
from the body
 To Help Us
There are some things that you can do to help us when you visit o Please turn your mobile phone off when in the ward. If you wish to make a
call, please either step out to the corridor, or go into the waiting room
o We respectfully request that you do not take photographs while in the Unit
o If you are a first-time visitor to the Unit, please let the bedside nurse know
so we can help orientate you to the environment you find yourself in
o Please provide contact details of a family member / friend who can be the
‘main contact person’. This provides us with a central contact should we
need to contact you for any reason, and provides an initial point of contact
for family and friends. The contact details may be left with the ward clerk
at the central station.
o Don’t forget to take care of yourself in this stressful time. Get regular rest;
have nourishing meals; drink plenty of water. Take yourself off on a walk
to get some fresh air and exercise. Let family and friends know that you
need help too!
o From time to time, we may have to ask you to leave to allow us to perform
a procedure, to maintain the privacy of other patients, or to observe the
rest periods. Please assist us by stepping out when requested.
o We are very serious about controlling the spread of infection. Most
harmful bacterial live on the skin and are transmitted by touching the skin
of other people, their bed linen, clothing and other objects. Please use the
anti-bacterial hand wash on entering and leaving the Unit. If you have
symptoms of a cold or stomach upset we ask that you do not visit until you
are well. If your loved one is in an isolation room, you may be asked to
wear a gown and mask.
4. Contact Us
The Intensive Care Unit’s telephone number is (02) 6244 3300. The
telephone is located within the ward itself. There is no voicemail service.
Telephone enquiries are generally received by the ward clerk in the first
instance. Ward clerks are on duty between 7.30am and 9.00pm. The direct
line to the ICU waiting area is (02) 6244 3178.
If you prefer, you may send an email for your loved one or attending family
members to icu@act.gov.au.

Should you require it, further information may be obtained from ACT
Health’s website. Visit www.health.act.gov.au and select ‘Canberra
Hospital’ from the ‘Quick Links’ menu on the right hand side. If you would
like to view information about the Intensive Care Unit, scroll down and
select ‘Canberra Hospital Clinical Services’ then select ‘Intensive Care
Unit’.
5. Your Comfort / Public Amenities
 If using the waiting area just outside the Unit, please help yourself to the
tea and coffee provided at the kitchenette. Magazines are available and a
television is installed in one corner. For those who have skipped a couple
of meal breaks we do have access to a limited supply of pre-cut
sandwiches – please check with Unit staff.
 Vending machines for snacks, cold drinks, hot beverages are located in
the corridor at the bottom of the stairs outside the ICU.
 If you feel like something more substantial, or want to stretch your legs a
little, you could visit Café Hoz, Hoz Express or the Auxiliary Shop. All are
located in close proximity to the hospital’s main reception in Building Two.
The Auxiliary Shop also carries a small supply of toiletries and gifts.
 Hoz Express offers an ‘internet café’ facility
 Public telephones are located in the corridor at the bottom of the stairs
outside the ICU – next to the vending machines. There are more public
telephones near the entrance to the main foyer of the hospital
 There is a public toilet diagonally opposite the entrance to the ICU, with
more located under the stairs within the Emergency Dept’s waiting area.
More public toilets are located on the back wall behind the main reception
desk in the hospital foyer.
6.
Accommodation
If you require short term accommodation, you may be able to secure a room
with the hospital’s Residences. Please speak with the Unit’s ward clerk or
Social Worker if you would like to investigate this option. The direct line to
Residence Reception is (02) 6244 2358. If you do have accommodation in
the residences, you can call the Intensive Care Unit directly from your
extension (43300 / 43301). Alternatively you may wish to book a room with a
nearby hotel (www.australianexplorer.com/hotels/woden.htm).
7. Automatic Teller Machine
ATMs are situated in the hospital foyer across from the Auxiliary Shop, and
inside ‘Service One Bank’ – across from Café Hoz
8. Transport
 Outside the hospital’s main entrance in Building Two is a bus stop with a
regular service between the hospital and the Woden bus interchange
(which is located within the Woden business district). The bus stops have
timetable information displayed, with further information available from
ACTION’s website www.action.gov.au
 A telephone providing a direct line to ‘Canberra Cabs’ is available from the
main reception desk. Passenger pickups and dropoffs are made from the
area outside the Emergency Department. Alternatively, bookings may be
made online at www.canberracabs.com.au or by phoning (02) 6126 1600.
9. Local Shops
 The Canberra Hospital is located in the suburb of Garran, and is bordered
by Yamba Drive, Hindmarsh Drive, Palmer Street and Gilmore Crescent.
A ten minute walk along Gilmore Crescent (from the maternity / pathology
end of the hospital campus) will take you to the Garran Shops which
includes a post office, supermarket and bakery.
 At the other end of the hospital campus (adjacent Hindmarsh Drive) is the
ACT Red Cross Blood Service, Brindabella Specialist Centre and a
pharmacy.
10. Parking
 There is time limited (three hour) visitor parking located at the intersection
of Bateson and Hospital Roads (within the hospital campus). Access may
be gained from Palmer Street (off Hindmarsh Drive) or from Yamba Drive.
Please comply with all parking signs - the hospital campus is patrolled by
ACT parking inspectors.
 A multi-storey parking facility is located next to the time-limited parking
area. The parking facility is open from 9.00am – 8.15pm.
11. Woden Business District
The Canberra Hospital is a short drive or bus ride from the Woden business
district which offers hotels / motels, restaurants, cafes, takeaways, banking
facilities, movie theatres and a large shopping complex. Parks, pitch n putt,
swimming pool, ice skating and gyms are close by. For more information,
please see www.westfield.com/woden , www.wodenvalley.com.au, the Yellow
Pages ® or the Unit’s ward clerk or social worker. For ‘things to do’ in
Canberra, have a look at
www.canberra.citysearch.com.au/editorial/1137564694770 or
www.visitcanberra.com.au .
12. Support Services
 Social Worker
The ICU has a dedicated social worker onsite 8.30am – 9.30pm seven days a
week. The Social Worker provides counselling and support for relatives and
carers and offers guidance in accessing community services and
accommodation. If you wish to speak with the social worker, please ask the
ward clerk, nursing or medical staff to arrange this for you.
 Aboriginal Liaison Officer
Aboriginal Liaison Officers provide culturally sensitive support for indigenous
patients and their families. Please ask the ICU social worker for assistance
with contacting this service.
 Interpreter Service
An interpreter service is available if English is your second language.
 Chaplains
Chaplains from Catholic, Anglican and Uniting churches are located within the
hospital. The chaplains provide spiritual support to patients and their relatives
or carers. Clergy from most denominations can be contacted on request.
Please ask ICU staff to arrange this for you.
 Organ Donor Coordinators
When a loved one is seriously ill, many people start to consider issues they
have not actively discussed before. One of these issues may be organ and
tissue donation. The Organ Donor Coordinators from the ACT Organ and
Tissue Donation Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to
provide information and support for people grappling with this issue. To
arrange a meeting, please ask the intensive care nursing or medical staff, or
contact the Coordinator directly by ringing the hospital switchboard on (02)
6244 2222.
 Research
We are committed to improving and providing quality patient care. Research
is an essential part of improving this care. You or your loved one may be
approached by our ICU research staff about including your family member in a
research project. All participation is voluntary and your loved one may
withdraw from the research project at any time. The quality of care will not be
affected by not participating in research projects.
13. Questions, Concerns and Comments
Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have or speak about
your concerns. We are interested in your feedback and comments. If you
have any suggestions or concerns you might like to direct your questions to
your loved one’s treating team in the first instance who, if they are unable to
answer, will endeavour to direct your enquiry to the right person.
ACT Health has “Consumer and Carer Feedback” forms available throughout
the hospital to capture client feedback. We would value your comments –
please feel free to utilise this avenue. Forms are located within the ICU
waiting room and when completed may be ‘posted’ into the box secured to the
waiting room wall.
More serious concerns can be addressed to the ICU Clinical Nurse Consultant
or ICU Assistant Director of Nursing via email to icu@act.gov.au or via post:
ADON / CNC
Intensive Care Unit
The Canberra Hospital
PO Box 11
WODEN ACT 2606.
The hospital also has a Customer Relations Officer available business hours
Monday to Friday. They may be contacted by ringing the hospital switchboard
on (02) 6244 2222, or by writing to:
Customer Relations Officer
The Canberra Hospital
PO Box 11
WODEN ACT 2606