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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives of Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can have PEACE OF MIND, real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
In last week’s blog I showed you “What you need to do in the first few hours after your loved one has been admitted to Intensive Care” and if you haven’t read, watched or listened to the update, you can check it out here.
In this week’s blog I want to talk about “How you and your Family are perceived is directly linked to the care your critically ill loved one is receiving or not receiving in Intensive Care”.
After having worked with thousands of Patients and Families in Intensive Care in 15 years Intensive Care Nursing, it has given me tremendous insight into the world of Intensive Care and I have learned many valuable lessons. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned in Intensive Care is that “what you see is often not what you get”. (https://intensivecarehotline.com/how-to-make-sure-that-what-you-see-is-always-what-you-get-whilst-your-loved-one-is-critically-ill-in-intensive-care/).
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This is sad but true and more often than not, the treatment and the care and even the prognosis and diagnosis of your critically ill loved one is dependent on how you and your Family are perceived by the Intensive Care team.
Let me say that again, because it’s very important that you understand that the perception that other people have of you and your Family is directly linked to how the Intensive Care team may position your critically ill loved one’s prognosis, diagnosis and the perception that the Intensive Care team has about you and your Family is directly impacting on the care and treatment your critically ill loved one is receiving or not receiving!
Let me give you a real world example here
Deborah is a 47 year old woman who has just been admitted to Intensive Care with Pneumonia after she had recent Chemotherapy for Leukaemia. The Pneumonia has been a direct result of the Chemotherapy for Leukaemia and her body just couldn’t keep up with the Chemotherapy any longer and she ended up getting Pneumonia, which can be quite common after having Chemotherapy.
On the ward Deborah had difficulties breathing and she required increased amounts of oxygen, to the point where the ward staff felt Deborah couldn’t be managed safely on the ward and Deborah needed admission to Intensive Care.
Fast forward, Deborah got admitted to Intensive Care for management of her now severe Pneumonia in light of her Leukaemia and recent Chemotherapy.
Does the ICU have a shortage of beds?
The Intensive Care team knows that the 20 bed ICU in which Deborah is being admitted to has a shortage of beds already, as many other Patients are waiting for those beds as well and generally speaking, if a Patient with Pneumonia after Chemotherapy for Leukaemia is being admitted to Intensive Care, the odds are often against the Patient and the Intensive Care team also knows turning the odds around would take a significant investment in time, energy and resources.
The Intensive Care team knows that it’s not impossible and has seen it in the past that Patients admitted to Intensive Care with such a prognosis can get out of Intensive Care with the Pneumonia being treated successfully after mechanical ventilation and an induced coma.
Would ventilation and an induced coma save Deborah’s life?
In Deborah’s case, the Intensive Care team is fully aware that putting Deborah in an induced coma and ventilating her for a few days and commencing her on Antibiotics may well send Deborah off in the right direction, however the Intensive Care team also thinks that maybe not ventilating Deborah and “only” putting her on BIPAP or Non-invasive ventilation may prolong her life, but may not necessarily cure her Pneumonia and in fact she may therefore die in Intensive Care.
Deborah’s Family is being perceived as weak
Deborah’s Family has trust in the Intensive Care team, but they also have no idea on how the odds are stacked, nor does Deborah’s Family have any idea that the demand on the ICU beds is very high and that the Intensive Care team knows that treating Deborah with ventilation and an induced coma would take up a lot of time, energy and resources in their ICU and the Intensive Care team is not prepared to invest the energy, the time and the resources.
Deborah’s family is completely oblivious to the moving parts behind the scenes and they are completely oblivious to how and why the Intensive Care team is suggesting to Deborah’s Family that BIPAP/ Non-invasive ventilation is the way to go and they also hint that Deborah may not survive her admission to Intensive Care. The Intensive Care team also has the perception that Deborah’s family doesn’t really know and understand what the treatment options are and they therefore feel that not mentioning ventilation and the induced coma and therefore increasing her chances of survival is probably the right way to go.
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Deborah’s family in this instance is being perceived as weak, not knowledgeable and they are not perceived as a family with power, influence and control. The family is at the complete mercy of the Intensive Care team. The Intensive Care team also knows that Deborah’s Family feels intimidated by the Intensive Care team.
Deborah’s family is being perceived as strong, knowledgeable, influential and powerful
On the other hand, if Deborah’s family had an understanding of what’s really happening in Intensive Care and if they questioned the motives of the Intensive Care team and if Deborah’s family was positioned as someone who knows about the moving parts, the politics, the intrigue and the motives of the Intensive Care team, they could change the perception that the Intensive Care team has about the Family and Deborah’s Family all of a sudden is perceived as a Family who is knowledgeable and who has influence, power and control over the outcome of their loved one.
That family is not at the mercy of the Intensive Care team. The family also questions the motives of the Intensive Care team and asks specific questions about their loved one’s treatment because they have informed themselves and they are therefore not intimidated by the Intensive Care team and if anything they see themselves as equals and they therefore have control, power, impact and influence!
How can you get PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence really quickly, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
If you want to have control, power and influence whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care and if you want to be perceived as strong, influential, impactful and knowledgeable by the Intensive Care team and if you want to be in control of your and your critically ill loved one’s destiny and if you want to make an impact, download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT NOW by entering your email below!
In your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT you’ll learn how to speak the “secret” Intensive Care language so that the doctors and the nurses know straight away that you are an insider and that you know and understand what’s really happening in Intensive Care!
- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- How to eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
- 5 “killer” tips& strategies helping you to get on the right path to PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to your and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- You’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
- How you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care(it’s not what you think)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s blog and I’ll see you again in another update next week!
Make sure you also check out our “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” section where we answer your questions or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Also check out our Products section where you get more Ebooks, Videos and Audio recordings and where you can also get 1:1 consulting!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Your Friend
Patrik Hutzel
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