Intensive Care Unit Staffing and Training
Intensive Care Units provide patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries specialized medical and nursing care, including mechanical breathing assistance and invasive cardiac monitoring on an around-the-clock basis.
Studies indicate that the care provided in an Intensive Care Unit is best when intensivists provide the care. Intensivists are board-certified doctors with specialized training or experience in critical care or emergency medicine. Studies also indicate that intensive care is best when it is provided by staff whose only responsibility is the care of patients in the unit. These care providers are closer on hand to fine-tune routine care and deal with emergencies.
The Leapfrog standard requires that Intensive Care Units be managed or co-managed by intensivists who:
- Are present during daytime hours and provide clinical care exclusively in the Intensive Care Unit, and
- At least 95% of all other times, return pages within five minutes and arrange for a FCCS-certified non-physician effector to reach Intensive Care Unit patients within five minutes
Cedars-Sinai is fully compliant with this standard.
