Coronary Care Unit / High Dependency Unit

Day of Discharge

It would be unusual to be discharged home form a critical care area. As there are limited beds in CCU/HDU, it may be that you are moved at unusual times to accommodate an unwell patient. We try to limit moves in the middle of the night but unfortunately sometimes this may happen.

On the day you are discharged to the ward, we will move all your belongings and inform your family member where you have been moved to.

Other Information

 Useful items to bring with you:

• Wash kit, shaving gear and hand wipes
• Towel, pyjamas/nightdress, pen/books/magazines, earplugs. Loose change for newspapers, etc.
• Please avoid bringing a large suitcase as there is limited storage space
• Please note that personal DVD players/TVs are not permitted in the CCU
• Please keep your personal belongings safe and do not bring any valuables with you
• Mobile phones are not permitted in the Unit

On admission, each patient will receive a Coronary Care Unit Patient Information Booklet and a patient satisfaction survey. We would be very grateful if patients could complete this survey as it helps us develop our quality service for future patients.

Patient Meal Times

Breakfast is served at 8am

Lunch is served at 12:30pm and Dinner at 5:30pm

If you are visiting a patient in the unit please be aware that they may have been placed on a specific diet as part of their treatment. This may include a reduced salt/fat menu we would ask visitors to be mindful of this if they are bringing food onto the unit.

Visiting Hours

 Visiting hours are between 3pm-4pm and 6:30pm-8:30pm

We have a strict rest period for our patients between 1pm-3pm, where we limit the procedures to patients and allow them to rest and recuperate. 

Description of Department/Service

Welcome to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU)/ High Dependency Unit (HDU). This unit has a total of nine beds. You will be expertly cared for by highly skilled specialist Nurses and Consultants.

During your stay, you may be visited by members of the multidisciplinary team, such as the dietician, social worker, cardiac rehabilitation nurses, physiotherapist and pharmacist.

As an emergency unit, we admit patients anytime, day or night. Whenever possible, we try to give patients notice of their transfer to a medical ward to accommodate an emergency admission. The average length of stay in the Unit is three to five days, upon which time patients are transferred to the general ward, where the same doctors provide treatment. Through necessity, the Unit admits both male and female patients.

Maintaining patient privacy and dignity while in CCU/HDU is very important to us. The Unit has a very friendly atmosphere and we will answer any questions you may have regarding your illness or stay with us. We aim to provide you with first class care to help with a speedy recovery.

The Team

Patients admitted into the CCU/HDU are cared for by our Cardiology/Critical Care Consultants they are:

• Dr. Bryan Loo, Dr. Deirdre Ward, Dr. Dan O'Gorman, Dr. Derek Crinion & Dr Richard Armstrong, Dr. Habitha Sulaiman, Dr. Peter Wheen

Each cardiology/ high dependency consultant within the hospital has their own area of knowledge and works closely with their team of doctors, consisting of Registrars, Senior House Officers and Interns.

There are two Clinical Nurse Managers in the unit, they are:

• Ms. Niamh Treacy, Clinical Nurse Manager II
• Ms. Eva Daly & Ms. Paula Langan, Clinical Nurse Managers I
  
  The CCU Consultants and ICU consultants who care for patients on the unit include:
  Dr. Paul Tierney, Dr. Lindi Snyman, Dr. Derek Crinion & Dr. Richard Armstrong  

Location

Coronary Care/ High Dependency Unit is located on the third floor of the main hospital.
From the main entrance take the stairs or lift to level three and follow the signs for CCU. CCU/HDU is a closed unit. You will need to call using the buzzer located on the right side to gain access, our staff are busy caring for patients so please be patient for the door to be opened.

Lights

Lights will be off between 1pm and 3pm to enable our patients to have a rest which is a very important part of their care. Night lights are aimed to be off by 11pm but as it is a critical care area this may not always be possible.