Have you wondered what the ICU journey looks like for patients and caregivers?

The charity organization ICUsteps mapped out exactly that.  Dr. Lee Cutler and designer Ben along with the multitude of team members from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) have created a comprehensive and informative poster to aid people in understanding the ICU journey.

This important visual for ICU staff and researchers can be seen below.

Who is ICUsteps?

According to their website:

“ICUsteps was established in 2005 and became a registered charity in 2006. Run by former intensive care patients and relatives we aim to improve the care and support available to patients recovering from critical illness during their long recovery.”

The charity aims to support people in a time of great need and provide families with information. The intention of the information is to support the positive health advancement of all people that interact with the ICU unit.

 

The Poster:

The poster was completed in June of 2018 and initially was only distributed throughout the NHS network by the Critical Care Nationals Network Nurse Leads group but can now extend to any ICU with permission. 

The information touches on the process of multiple influences people that connect with the ICU experience.  A few of the topics covered are as follows: Rehabilitation, End of Care, Critical Illness, and Support groups.  Tips such as keeping a patient diary and making sure the family gets a good sleep are included in the poster to help keep everyone healthy.  

 

To read more about ICUsteps and the work that they do check out their website icusteps.org