How to better Differentiate the Different Hospital Floors/Rooms/Units?

roser13, ASN, RN · Aug 14, 2011

"Every single place has different and/or multiple names for the same area, and some are merged with others."

This is why it will it is unlikely that you will find a generic one-abbreviation-fits-all guide to hospital unit abbreviations. Even with years of hospital experience, I still must pause occasionally to figure out what a poster is referencing by their acronyms.

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2011

Intensive Care Unit -> severe acute distress, ventilators, unstable patients, unstable hemodynamics

Post- Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU/Recovery Room) -> Post operative patients are sent here after surgery for recovery/awaiting an inpatient bed

Emergency Room -> Self explanatory

Telemetry -> cardiac floor where patients are hooked up to a portable cardiac monitored which is watched 24/7

Oncology -> A floor where the majority of the patients are cancer patients and may be receiving chemotherapy/radiation, etc

Orthopedics -> majority of patients are orthopedic patients that are most likely post-op

Surgical -> a floor where the majority of the patients have just had surgery or will most likely have surgery soon

Neuro -> A floor where the majority of the patients have neurological disorders such as CVA, Sub Arachnoid Bleed, etc

Neuro ICU -> A critical care are where severly unstable neuro patients are held

Med/Surg -> a general medical floor

Mother/Baby -> a floor where new mothers are held along with the nursery

Labor/Delivery (L&D) -> a unit usually designated as a critical care/surgical unit where women deliver children

.... hope that helps

Burnt Out, ASN, RN · Aug 15, 2011

Intensive Care Unit -> severe acute distress, ventilators, unstable patients, unstable hemodynamics
Post- Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU/Recovery Room) -> Post operative patients are sent here after surgery for recovery/awaiting an inpatient bed
Emergency Room -> Self explanatory
Telemetry -> cardiac floor where patients are hooked up to a portable cardiac monitored which is watched 24/7
Oncology -> A floor where the majority of the patients are cancer patients and may be receiving chemotherapy/radiation, etc
Orthopedics -> majority of patients are orthopedic patients that are most likely post-op
Surgical -> a floor where the majority of the patients have just had surgery or will most likely have surgery soon
Neuro -> A floor where the majority of the patients have neurological disorders such as CVA, Sub Arachnoid Bleed, etc
Neuro ICU -> A critical care are where severly unstable neuro patients are held
Med/Surg -> a general medical floor
Mother/Baby -> a floor where new mothers are held along with the nursery
Labor/Delivery (L&D) -> a unit usually designated as a critical care/surgical unit where women deliver children
.... hope that helps

In addition, there can be:

Antepartum: a unit for pregnant women who need to be closely monitored (preterm labor, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes)

Neonatal ICU: a critical care area for premature infants as well as sick full term infants

Progressive care unit (PCU): a step-down unit for patients that no longer need some of the care of a more critical unit but not ready to move to a regular surgical or med-surg unit

Observation unit: a unit for short term stay patients with med surg problems that may/may not need surgical intervention. Kidney stones, chest pain (if testing r/o cardiac issues), blood transfusions for cancer patients that don't require hospitalization otherwise

Ambulatory/Day Surgery: for patients having outpatient based procedures/surgery. Sometimes will be called a short stay unit.

There are so many variations on critical care units: pediatrics, cardiac, cardiovascular (for open heart patients).

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2011

Most of this has to do with the size of the hospital. I have worked in smaller hospitals that only had one ICU and one medical-surgical floor! Don't worry, every hospital is different and once you start working somewhere, you will not have a problem with this.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2011

I am having the hardest time trying to get the hospital nomenclature and just general outline of the different hospital units and what they all entail.
Every single place has different and/or multiple names for the same area, and some are merged with others.
Does someone have a link for THE most comprehensive and best definitive way for breaking these areas down so a newb like me to better understand the proper functions of the hospital and who goes where?
Even Wikipedia has done a very half-orificed way of showcasing and discussing the different hospital departments.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Hospital_departments

Every hospital is different so in each facility and different parts of the country have different acronymns.....you will have to learn what and where everything is and what they stand for......

PICU...Pediactric Intensive Care Unit

NICU..Neonate Intensive Care Unit (premature babies), also Neuro Intensive Care Unit (strokes and head bleeds)

MICU..Medical Intensive Care Unit

SICU..Surgical Intensive Care Unit

PCU...Progressive Care Unit (monitored step down AKA IMCU...InterMediate Care Unit)

CTPACU....Cardio Thorasic Post Anesthesia Care Unit (also known as the "recovery room" foe open hearts)

PACU...Post Anesthesia Care Unit (recovery room)

ER, ED, EW....Emergency Room, Emergency Department, Emergency Ward

TRU...Trauma Recovery Unit

ACU..Acute Care Unit, also can be used for Addictions Care Unit

Cath Lab, Cardiovascular Lab, Cardiac Catheterization Unit....usually where angiograms are done mostly cardiac

TCU...Transitional Care Unit (not ready to go home but too sick for LTC ...Long Term Care)

LTC...Long Term Care (nursing home) also known as SNF....Skilled Nursing Facility

LTAC...Long Term Acute Care....acute hospital care needed but ran out of hospital days so you go there

The list is endless.....you'll just have to familiarize yourself with the facility where you are.....you'll get the hang of it..... :clown:

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2011

and I just learned a new one....CBRF

Community Based Residential Facility.....rest home.....Who knew??

rifetamenkovic11 · May 19, 2013

Can someone tell me or send me private msg how does a whole hiring process works if you are a patient care tech thx

MommaTy · May 19, 2013

You need a CNA license 1st. Then you apply for jobs via the internet for the hospital you want to work at. They will contact you within 2 weeks if they want an interview, usually by email they will send that they found other applicants.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · May 19, 2013

Don't forget the cardiac cath lab, where they do PCIs (percutaneous coronary interventions), such as balloon angioplasties and stent placement. A trip to the cath lab may be emergent (a patient is currently having a STEMI and those vessels need to be opened up NOW) or scheduled. They don't always do interventions with a heart cath, it depends on what they find.

PICU, or pediatric intensive care unit...for critically-ill pediatric patients.

You need a CNA license 1st. Then you apply for jobs via the internet for the hospital you want to work at. They will contact you within 2 weeks if they want an interview, usually by email they will send that they found other applicants.

Not always. The requirements to become a PCT depend on the hospital and the area you are in. Where I work now, there are CNAs on the floors, and they actually have their CNA license. There are ED techs, and they are either paramedics or currently in nursing school. I used to work as a PCNA (patient care nursing assistant) and their requirements were either to have your STNA (state tested nursing assistant, Ohio's fancy term for a CNA) OR currently be enrolled in nursing school. I worked at another hospital as a nurse tech and you just had to be enrolled in a nursing program and be in good standing...you didn't have to be a CNA.

So again, it just depends.