Average size of ICU's - when is it too big?

[mgchat76]

Hi All,

I'm curious what the average size of ICU's out there are nowadays? The unit I work on just moved to a new building with a huge (j-shaped and about .05 miles long) 30 bed unit without a central nursing station. Myself and a lot of my coworkers are struggling. We previously had 2 smaller "pods", each with a central monitor that was easy for everyone to see. It was also easy to see who was struggling and needed help. There are three neighborhoods, but this only consists of separate med and supply rooms for every 10 pt rooms. There are central monitors, but they're only visible if you happen to be assigned to the rooms they are across from.

I used to be a traveler and have worked at 10 or so hospitals in the past, but I can't ever remember working on a single unit so big. Most places may have had more beds, but were split up into smaller units. I used to do charge, but now I don't feel safe when I can't even see who is drowning. Are big units with no central nursing station the next trend, or is it just our hospital?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

32 bed combination MICU/SICU with two primary and two secondary nursing stations. I don't work there, but routinely drop off cardiac surgery patients. I see a lot of great teamwork, adequate staffing, and a manager who is not only visible but who pitches in wherever help is needed. I would think it's not so much the size of the unit but the staffing, unit culture (nurses helping each other or not), and management style.

[mgchat76]

Thanks for the reply. We used to have great teamwork, and still do to a degree. My point is that everyone is so spread out it's difficult to help one another. Last night the closest nurse to me was literally 20 yards away. And when you leave your pts to help someone else, they are completely unattended since there is no central nursing station where a monitor is easily visible. You have to hope that a nurse leaves their "desk" to look at the monitor if there is an alarm. We've asked to have monitors placed throughout the hallways, but were told it's a privacy violation.

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

30 beds mixed unit. 3 areas with a central nursing station in each area. Each area has it's own med room, clean utility room, and dirty utility room.

[guest769224]

24 bed mixed trauma/surg/medical ICU and we are the largest ICU in the state. Tiny compared to what's been mentioned

[eCCU]

52 bed CV recovery with 4 beds pod design 1 charge for 2 pods 1 main pyxis for 2 pods/1 pharmacist 2pharm techs, 2 nurse educators. ....that's the largest one I have seen so far.....not counting perfusionists for ecmo pts and extra nurses for dialysis pts.....oh plus break nurses one of the best features. .... they came in at 10-5 for lunches....

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Ours is 20 beds, mostly trauma and neuro, some general surgical and a handful of CVT surgical. Our setup is similar to dah doh ^^^

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

My hospital's MICU is bigger...24 or 28 beds? I'd have to look.

[tigerRN2013]

I work at a 32 bed SICU. There is a charge and float nurse who go around and help people prn on all the different hallways (6 hallways). Each nurse has their own little station with a computer/desk/ and windows to look into their rooms between their 2 assigned rooms.

[OhioCCRN, MSN, NP]

30 bed SICU with each 10 beds its own "unit" you can walk through all the units thought, assignments are done by "unit" so your assignment stays close to the central monitor For your particular unit . No problems w teamwork as there is always 3 "free" nurses on every schedule who basically roam around and assist. Our SICU is hopping and the docs loooooooooooo e bedside surgery and all sorts of procedures so it's really helpful to have that extra person to help chart etc

[whofan, ADN, BSN, RN]

69 bed unit separated into pods. CVICU pod 8 beds. S/TICU two pods with 11 beds and 10 beds . MICU with 40 beds split into three pods. pod 1 taking infectious disease and CVAs, pod 2 taking MIs, and pod 3 taking mostly respiratory.