After reading an article about OT in the ICU, I learned about what it is like having a job as an occupational therapist in the intensive care unit. The ICU has a wide variety of diagnoses such as severe sepsis, organ failure, myocardial infarction, major surgery, detoxing, or insulin drips. An ICU OT they types of interventions vary. I learned that the patient's condition and stability is a big factor in deciding what kind of intervention is done. For more alert/awake patients who are stable, working on mobility such as getting to a chair or walking to the toilet is a good choice. For patients that are less stable, a better choice might be to keep the intervention in the bed or in a chair. i also learned about the importance of family education. Keeping the patient's family informed and educated on what the rehab process will be like is important. It is about letting the patient have meaning in their life and keeping the family informed helps with this incase there are specific...
