Critical care delivery system is a branch of medicine that delivers special medical care to patients who are physiologically unstable and to patients who require constant titration of therapy according to the development of the disease process. As a nursing student on an intensive care unit, we contract the opportunity to learn about the complex health issues of critically ill patients, practice selected technical skills, and develop communication skills. With preparation, we are able to engage ourselves into the ICU environment, acquire new knowledge and skills, and participate alongside the nurse caring for critically ill patients. This allows us to gain knowledge about the kind of patients we will be seeing in our future careers. As …show more content…
As a nurse one need to be aware of his or her patient’s financial state and know the individual’s ability or inability to pay for the care he or she is receiving. The best way to understand the cost of an intensive care unit will be to obtain a medical bill of a patient from East Alabama Medical Center intensive care unit in Opelika, Alabama. The medical bill will be examined thoroughly to gain knowledge of the cost of a hospital stay in the ICU. The Intensive care unit at East Alabama Medical Center is a 20-bed unit that serves patients that are recovering from severe illnesses as well as surgery to repair injuries. The average cost for a room on this floor is merely between $1,000-$1500 daily and that does not include the medications, ventilators that are required, or any other medical attention the patient may need. Even if the patient has private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare the cost can still be significantly high because these insurance companies only pay a portion of the care needed leaving the patient with an enormous medical bill. For patients without insurance will have to pay out of pocket for the care and this can get quite substantial. This is where the nurse has to be an advocate for the patient and make sure he or she gets only the care …show more content…
The nurses provide around the clock bedside care and monitoring. They are in close contact with the physician in charge as well as other members of the critical care team. The primary goal is to provide the best quality care for the critically ill patients. Intensive care nurses are required to assess, plan, implement and evaluate health care services for patients suffering with a broad range of health conditions. Types of patients cared for depends upon the type of intensive care unit which nurses are employed