1. The Intensive Care Unit

The Canberra Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) provides quality, around-the-clock care for critically ill patients from the ACT and South-Eastern NSW.

The Unit is staffed by specially trained professionals and contains up to date medical equipment to ensure your loved one receives the best possible care.

If you are unsure of where to find the Unit, volunteer guides can help point you in the right direction and escort you to the Unit if required. The volunteers can be found in the main entry foyer, or you can ask at the main reception desk.

  1. Visiting the Intensive Care Unit

We recognise and value the important part family and friends play in our patients’ recovery. We understand that having a member of your family or close friend admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can be an overwhelming experience. We hope the following information assists you in your visit to our Unit.

  • Hours

We try to be as flexible and accommodating as we can with visiting hours.

  • Who Can Visit?

Visiting in the ICU is generally restricted to immediate family with no more than two people visiting at any one time (but this restriction is not set in stone). Children accompanied by an adult are encouraged to visit, if you wish.

  • Access to the Intensive Care Unit

All the patients within the ICU are critically ill and may need frequent and complex procedures. The doors to the Unit are on a magnetic release system which allows us to provide a safe and secure environment for our patients. The doors also help prevent the spread of infection.

To access the Unit, please use the intercom system which is mounted on the left hand side of the corridor leading to the ICU. The intercom is labelled ‘ICU Intercom’. Please push the top silver button labelled “Brindabella” once, and wait until your call is answered. Please advise the staff member who answers your call who it is you wish to visit. We will endeavour to have the nurse looking after your loved one collect you from the waiting area, but sometimes this is not always possible. In this case, the staff member answering your enquiry will check that your loved one can have visitors and either release the doors to allow you to come through, or ask you to wait in the waiting area. Sometimes we do have to ask family and friends to wait before being able to visit but please know that we will only ask you to wait when it is in the absolute best interests of our patient (for example, during ward rounds (to maintain patient confidentiality), or if they are undergoing a medical procedure). If you feel that you have been waiting a particularly long time, please let us know.

3. Inside the Unit

When visiting the Unit you are welcome to ask nursing staff about your loved one’s care. You are encouraged to communicate, touch, and when appropriate, participate in your loved one’s care (for example – brushing hair, washing face and hands). You may also bring in photos and music (headphones / earplugs will be required) to help provide a sense of familiarity. Please be mindful of other patients within the Unit and keep voices to a reasonable level.

  • Staff

The team looking after your loved one might include: chaplains, cleaners, clerical staff, dieticians, medical and nursing staff, pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers, social workers, speech pathologists, ward assistants, ward clerks and wardsmen. Rostering staff enables the provision of 24/7 care for your loved one, so please be aware that the nurse or doctor you see on any one day may change the next. The standard of care and concern for your loved one however, will be consistent and remain paramount.

Within the nursing and medical teams there is a structure, or hierarchy. Nursing staff include your loved one’s bedside nurse, the team leader (a senior registered nurse), and the Clinical Nurse Consultant. Nursing staff deliver all bedside care and constantly assess the condition of your loved one, managing the minute by minute delivery of organ support and treatment as prescribed by the medical team.

Medical staff attending your loved one might include Resident Medical Officers, ICU Registrars, ICU Senior Registrars, ICU Staff Specialists, andRegistrars and Specialists from other disciplines.

The CanberraHospital is a teaching hospital and the ICU hosts Resident Medical Officers as they rotate through the various disciplines within the hospital. The Unit also hosts fourth year medical students. Please note that medical students will not be actively involved in your loved one’s treatment plan.

  • Equipment

The Unit contains medical equipment that supports organ function and allows continuous observation of vital signs. Most of the equipment can be monitored from the central desk as well as from the bedside. From time to time the equipment makes noise – please don’t be alarmed should they gurgle, beep or hiss – it’s not always what the TV shows would suggest! Equipment you might encounter in the Unit includes:

Ventilators (breathing machines) – assists the patient to maintain a clear airway

Urinary catheter – drains urine from the bladder and allows measurement of fluid expulsion

Intravenous lines – may be inserted in veins in the arm, leg, neck, chest or groin to allow access for fluids and medications via drip or injection

Arterial Line – inserted into an artery in either the arm or groin to facilitate the taking of blood samples, and to allow continuous blood pressure readings

Nasogastric or Orogastric Tube – passes from the nose or mouth directly to the stomach allowing the supply of nutrients, and the drainage of stomach secretions

Monitors – detect heart rate, heart rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen levels and respiratory rates

Chest Drains – inserted through the chest wall to drain air, blood and other fluids following surgery

Dialysis Machine – acts as an artificial kidney and removes waste products from the body

  • To Help Us

There are some things that you can do to help us when you visit -

  • Please turn your mobile phone off when in the ward. If you wish to make a call, please either step out to the corridor, or go into the waiting room
  • We respectfully request that you do not take photographs while in the Unit
  • If you are a first-time visitor to the Unit, please let the bedside nurse know so we can help orientate you to the environment you find yourself in
  • Please provide contact details of a family member / friend who can be the ‘main contact person’. This provides us with a central contact should we need to contact you for any reason, and provides an initial point of contact for family and friends. The contact details may be left with the ward clerkat the central station.
  • Don’t forget to take care of yourself in this stressful time. Get regular rest; have nourishing meals; drink plenty of water. Take yourself off on a walk to get some fresh air and exercise. Let familyand friends know that you need help too!
  • From time to time, we may have to ask you to leave to allow us to perform a procedure, to maintain the privacy of other patients, or to observe the rest periods. Please assist us by stepping out when requested.
  • We are very serious about controlling the spread of infection. Most harmful bacterial live on the skin and are transmitted by touching the skin of other people, their bed linen, clothing and other objects. Please use the anti-bacterial hand wash on entering and leaving the Unit. If you have symptoms of a cold or stomach upset we ask that you do not visit until you are well. If your loved one is in an isolation room, you may be asked to wear a gown and mask.
  1. Contact Us

The Intensive Care Unit’s telephone number is (02) 6244 3300. The telephone is located within the ward itself. There is no voicemail service. Telephone enquiries are generally received by the ward clerk in the first instance. Ward clerks are on duty between 7.30am and 9.00pm. The direct line to the ICU waiting area is (02) 6244 3178.

If you prefer, you may send an email for your loved one or attending family members to .

  • Should you require it, further information may be obtained from ACT Health’s website. Visit and select ‘CanberraHospital’ from the ‘Quick Links’ menu on the right hand side. If you would like to view information about the Intensive Care Unit, scroll down and select ‘Canberra Hospital Clinical Services’ then select ‘Intensive Care Unit’.
  1. Your Comfort / Public Amenities
  • If using the waiting area just outside the Unit, please help yourself to the tea and coffee provided at the kitchenette. Magazines are available and a television is installed in one corner. For those who have skipped a couple of meal breaks we do have access to a limited supply of pre-cut sandwiches – please check with Unit staff.
  • Vending machines for snacks, cold drinks, hot beverages are located in the corridor at the bottom of the stairs outside the ICU.
  • If you feel like something more substantial, or want to stretch your legs a little, you could visit Café Hoz, Hoz Express or the Auxiliary Shop. All are located in close proximity to the hospital’s main reception in Building Two. The Auxiliary Shop also carries a small supply of toiletries and gifts.
  • Hoz Express offers an ‘internet café’ facility
  • Public telephones are located in the corridor at the bottom of the stairs outside the ICU – next to the vending machines. There are more public telephones near the entrance to the main foyer of the hospital
  • There is a public toilet diagonally opposite the entrance to the ICU, with more located under the stairs within the Emergency Dept’s waiting area. More public toilets are located on the back wall behind the main reception desk in the hospital foyer.

6.Accommodation

If you require short term accommodation, you may be able to secure a room with the hospital’s Residences. Please speak with the Unit’s ward clerk or Social Worker if you would like to investigate this option. The direct line to Residence Reception is (02) 6244 2358. If you do have accommodation in the residences, you can call the Intensive Care Unit directly from your extension (43300 / 43301). Alternatively you may wish to book a room with a nearby hotel (

  1. Automatic Teller Machine

ATMs are situated in the hospital foyer across from the Auxiliary Shop, and inside ‘Service One Bank’ – across from Café Hoz

  1. Transport
  • Outside the hospital’s main entrance in Building Two is a bus stop with a regular service between the hospital and the Woden bus interchange (which is located within the Woden business district). The bus stops have timetable information displayed, with further information available from ACTION’s website
  • A telephone providing a direct line to ‘Canberra Cabs’ is available from the main reception desk. Passenger pickups and dropoffs are made from the area outside the Emergency Department. Alternatively, bookings may be made online at or by phoning (02) 6126 1600.
  1. Local Shops
  • The CanberraHospital is located in the suburb of Garran, and is bordered by Yamba Drive, Hindmarsh Drive, Palmer Street and Gilmore Crescent. A ten minute walk along Gilmore Crescent (from the maternity / pathology end of the hospital campus) will take you to the Garran Shops which includes a post office, supermarket and bakery.
  • At the other end of the hospital campus (adjacent Hindmarsh Drive) is the ACT Red Cross Blood Service, Brindabella Specialist Centre and a pharmacy.
  1. Parking
  • There is time limited (three hour) visitor parking located at the intersection of Bateson and Hospital Roads (within the hospital campus). Access may be gained from Palmer Street (off Hindmarsh Drive) or from Yamba Drive. Please comply with all parking signs -the hospital campus is patrolled by ACT parking inspectors.
  • A multi-storey parking facility is located next to the time-limited parking area. The parking facility is open from 9.00am – 8.15pm.
  1. Woden Business District

The CanberraHospital is a short drive or bus ride from the Woden business district which offers hotels / motels, restaurants, cafes, takeaways, banking facilities, movie theatres and a large shopping complex. Parks, pitch n putt, swimming pool, ice skating and gyms are close by. For more information, please see , the Yellow Pages ® or the Unit’s ward clerk or social worker. For ‘things to do’ in Canberra, have a look at or

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  1. Support Services
  • Social Worker

The ICU has a dedicated social worker onsite 8.30am – 9.30pm seven days a week. The Social Worker provides counselling and support for relatives and carers and offers guidance in accessing community services and accommodation. If you wish to speak with the social worker, please ask the ward clerk, nursing or medical staff to arrange this for you.

  • Aboriginal Liaison Officer

Aboriginal Liaison Officers provide culturally sensitive support for indigenous patients and their families. Please ask the ICU social worker for assistance with contacting this service.

  • Interpreter Service

An interpreter service is available if English is your second language.

  • Chaplains

Chaplains from Catholic, Anglican and Uniting churches are located within the hospital. The chaplains provide spiritual support to patients and their relatives or carers. Clergy from most denominations can be contacted on request. Please ask ICU staff to arrange this for you.

  • Organ Donor Coordinators

When a loved one is seriously ill, many people start to consider issues they have not actively discussed before. One of these issues may be organ and tissue donation. The Organ Donor Coordinators from the ACT Organ and Tissue Donation Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide information and support for people grappling with this issue. To arrange a meeting, please ask the intensive care nursing or medical staff, or contact the Coordinator directly by ringing the hospital switchboard on (02) 6244 2222.

  • Research

We are committed to improving and providing quality patient care. Research is an essential part of improving this care. You or your loved one may be approached by our ICU research staff about including your family member in a research project. All participation is voluntary and your loved one may withdraw from the research project at any time. The quality of care will not be affected by not participating in research projects.

  1. Questions, Concerns and Comments

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have or speak about your concerns. We are interested in your feedback and comments. If you have any suggestions or concerns you might like to direct your questions to your loved one’s treating team in the first instance who, if they are unable to answer, will endeavour to direct your enquiry to the right person.

ACT Health has “Consumer and Carer Feedback” forms available throughout the hospital to capture client feedback. We would value your comments – please feel free to utilise this avenue. Forms are located within the ICU waiting room and when completed may be ‘posted’ into the box secured to the waiting room wall.

More serious concerns can be addressed to the ICU Clinical Nurse Consultant or ICU Assistant Director of Nursing via email to or via post:

ADON / CNC

Intensive Care Unit

The CanberraHospital

PO Box 11

WODEN ACT 2606.

The hospital also has a Customer Relations Officer available business hours Monday to Friday. They may be contacted by ringing the hospital switchboard on (02) 6244 2222, or by writing to:

Customer Relations Officer

The CanberraHospital

PO Box 11

WODEN ACT 2606