The Post-operative Critical Care Unit
at
ROYAL LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
The Post Operative Critical Care Unit (POCCU) is situated within the Main Operating Department on the 11th floor of the hospital. We are part of The Directorate of Anaesthesia, Theatres and Sterile Services, within the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, an acute teaching hospital with an annual budget of over £200M, close to Liverpool City centre.
Telephone:
0151 706 2888 (Direct Line)
Fax: 0151 706 5823 [From
overseas dial: + 44 151 706 5823]
Postal address:Post Operative Critical Care Unit, Main Theatres, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool. L7 8XP.
E-mail: see individual contacts below
About POCCU
Number of patients admitted in the calendar year 2007: 529
We
opened on 1 December 2000 as a purpose built, four bedded unit within the Main
Operating Department of the hospital, to care for patients who have recently had
surgery, who are in need of closer monitoring than can be provided on a ordinary
general ward. Bed occupancy in 2006 was 94%.
We are also able to provide interim intensive care facilities, where an intensive care bed is unavailable in the hospital.
All of our bed spaces have Dräger Evita Four Ventilators and full cardiovascular monitoring facilities.
Our patients are under the joint care of their admitting surgeon/physician and the consultant anaesthetists who work in the Department of Anaesthesia. POCCU's consultant staff are supported by senior house officers and specialist registrar trainees, who are attached to the Department of Anaesthesia.
Consultants from the separate Directorate of Intensive Care also provide a valuable input into the patients' care, whilst on POCCU.
Admission Criteria
Patients are considered for admission to the POCCU if they require ventilatory and/or cardiovascular support or monitoring of expected duration of less than 24 hours. Elective patients may be booked-in if this requirement is thought likely due either to the planned surgery or the patient's medical condition.
Emergency patients are also considered for admission to the POCCU, but only after discussion with the consultant anaesthetist supervising the Unit and the intensive care consultant.
Patients are referred to the Intensive Care Unit in this hospital if:
they are not fit for discharge by 24 hours post operatively or
if ventilatory or inotropic support requirements increase during the first 24 hours.
(NB. This policy is currently under review).
Research and Audit
The POCCU is involved in a range of research and audit activity with patients recruited in to both local projects as well as large multi-centre studies.
Much of our research is linked with that of the Intensive Care Unit.
Audit
POCCU is active in audit.
The aim is that all patients in POCCU are nursed according to the ‘work-based dependency score’. This information is audited and entered into a database.
Other databases in POCCU include critical
care analysis - monitoring refused admissions & operations cancelled, early
discharges, delayed discharges etc.
Also a database is set up to monitor
patient length of stay, reasons for admission and the APACHE II score is
recorded for each patient.
POCCU’s audit lead is Staff Nurse Ruth Fletcher.
The Unit's Staff
Clinical Director: Dr Jane Beattie
Clinical Lead: Dr Elaine Allsop
Directorate Manager: Mrs Ann Conley
Audit and Clinical Governance Lead: Dr
Oliver Zuzan
Staff can be e-mailed using the format: firstname.lastname@rlbuht.nhs.uk
POCCU's senior nursing staff and their interests:
Associate Directorate Manager: Ms Justine French
Ward Manager: Mr Jeff Carson (ethics, kinetic therapy, patient humidification)
C/N Peter Brown: Deputy ward manager, equipment and resources
Sr Mary Blain: Policies and Procedures
C/N Dylan Davies: Education and student nurse link
Staff Nurse Ruth Fletcher: Audit Lead
C/N Eric Thwaite: Life Support Trainer & Resources
Sr Nicky Pryce: Tissue Viability
Sr Sue O’Connell: Infection control
E-mail: staff may be e-mailed using the format firstname.lastname@rlbuht.nhs.uk
We are supported by other staff from within both the Directorate, and the Hospital. These include Operating Department Practitioners [photo], Physiotherapists [photo] , Dieticians, Pharmacists and Ancillary Staff [photo].
Undergraduate Teaching:
The Post-operative Critical Care Unit welcomes pre registration nursing students from both Liverpool University and Liverpool John Moores University for a period of six weeks on a rolling annual programme; both degree and diploma students are accommodated.
The clinical placement runs in conjunction with a high dependency nursing care module, facilitating application of theory in practice. Student nurses work closely with their mentors and co-mentors to ensure continuity of development and effective achievement of their professional competencies.
Due to proximity of the unit to Theatres and the Recovery Ward, students are encouraged to spend time in these areas; they can also spend time with the Critical Care Outreach Team and the Acute Pain Team.
With the
Unit caring for a mixture of both highly dependent and intensive care patients,
students find that they have maximum exposure to a variety of clinical
specialties and medical conditions, which enriches their pre-registration
training.
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Page last updated:
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
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© Copyright 1996--2008 by POCCU and R.Wenstone.