The pediatric critical care unit at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, Charleston South Carolina, receives the 2021 ICU Design Citation. The PICU was designed with the core principles of patient- and family-centered care while representing the local culture
ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – March 25, 2021 – The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) will present the annual ICU Design Citation to the pediatric critical care unit at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, part of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
The 28-bed unit is part of MUSC’s new 10-story women’s and children’s care facility that opened in 2020. The hospital was designed with the core principles of patient- and family-centered care while representing the local culture.
Rooms have desig¬nated space for the patient, family and care team, and are outfitted with ceiling lifts, built-in continuous EEG monitors and operating room-grade surgical lighting. Additionally, there are three dedicated burn rooms with rapid radiant heating and hydrotherapy.
Patient safety was a top priority when designing central monitoring. Central monitors are located at every care team station, and display monitors are in every bedside alcove. The unit is outfitted with forward-thinking technol¬ogy, including digital nameplates with patient status updates, two-way videoconferencing in every room, and bedside iPads for patients and families.
The décor includes the color and feel of local coastal and marshland areas while providing a feeling of being at home. The artwork, furniture and colors represent the ocean, marsh and local beaches.
Staff and family wellness were a priority in the design of the amenities. The unit includes a playroom, breast-pump lounge and respite room, and there are many outdoor spaces for respite located away from the unit. Families staying for extended periods have access to kitchens, lounges, laundry facilities, showers, and other comforts and conveniences.
The award — co-sponsored by AACN, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the Committee on Architecture for Health of the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco — recognizes ICUs that successfully combine functional design with humanitarian delivery of care.
MUSC received the award during the 2021 Society for Critical Care Medicine annual conference. AACN will honor them during the 2021 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), a virtual event May 24-27.
About the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition: Established in 1974, AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) represents the world’s largest educational conference and trade show for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families. Bedside nurses, nurse educators, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners attend NTI.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world's largest specialty nursing organization, with more than 130,000 members and over 200 chapters in the United States.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme