Consulting for Families
Sadly, most people are not aware of this, including many of those who work in the ICU. That being the case, when your loved one is in the intensive care unit, the last thing you want to be doing is sifting through scientific papers and trying to figure out how to educate hospital staff on what’s best for your family member.
We believe patients should remain autonomous whenever possible, and clinicians should facilitate meaningful communication with patients and their families to make sure they have a say in the kind of care they’re receiving. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
It can be tough to navigate this situation alone, not least because your own loved one is in the hospital. Let us shoulder some of the burden by giving you the information you need to understand how to improve your loved one’s chances, and the insight on how to apply that knowledge as their patient care advocate.
Through our services, you’ll be able to:
- Understand your role as a loved one in the ICU
- Understand how to improve your family member’s quality of life when they return home
- Learn how to become a patient care advocate for your family member
- Know what can be done to reduce your loved one’s chances of dying or suffering other complications
I am a nurse leader responsible for improving practices across the intensive care units of a large health system. As an experienced ICU nurse, I know the culture that most often exists in ICUs is one that promotes and accepts over-sedation that often causes unintended harm. While reviewing the literature to better align our liberation practices with the best evidence, one of our bedside nurses discovered Walking Home From The ICU. The combination of poignant stories from ICU survivors with the expertise of some of ICU Liberation’s leading experts became the impetus for a system-wide evidence-based practice improvement project aimed at changing analgesia and sedation management in our ICUs.
After initially being inspired by Kali’s podcast and the incredible stories it provides, we saw an opportunity for more. We brought Kali in to present a webinar to almost 100 of our critical care team members, including nurses, APPs, physicians, and respiratory therapists. Kali’s presentation struck a needed balance between evidence-based practice information and inspiring stories, highlighting real patients who benefited from a practice that is often very different from what occurs in most ICUs today. The webinar was very well-received by all who attended, and the lessons learned have continued to be referenced by our team members as we strive to create an Awake and Walking ICU culture.
Kali offers a refreshing perspective on critical care, and she supports it with a wealth of knowledge garnered from years as a bedside nurse and advanced practice provider. Kali knows how to speak to clinicians because she is one, and she’s still very connected to the daily lived experiences of those on the frontline of critical care. I believe anyone working in critical care will find inspiration in Walking Home From The ICU to change the harmful culture of sedation in their practice. I would even go so far as to recommend the podcast as required listening for all ICU team members, whether experienced clinicians or new residents and nurses. When additional support is needed, I encourage clinical leaders to utilize Kali’s expertise and experiences to further inspire and motivate their teams. Time spent working with Kali is an investment that will pay dividends in the positive impact it has on the lives of the patients we serve.
Patrick Bradley, MSN, RN, CCRN
Virginia, USA
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