The Intensive Care Unit (4131) at Rigshospitalet is a tertiary and multidisciplinary department treating both children and adults. The patients admitted to the unit present with a broad spectrum of challenging medical conditions, including trauma, infectious diseases, burns, hematological disorders (including bone marrow transplants), vascular surgery and patients requiring hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We receive patients for postoperative care after complex surgical procedures such as solid organ transplantation and reconstructive cancer surgery.
The ICU is a 19-bed unit with plans to expand to 22 beds in the spring of 2012. On an annual basis 1000 patients are treated with a bed occupancy rate of 90%. The average length of stay being 5.6 days.
Quality of care and benchmarking are continually assessed, and in 2010 our standardized mortality ratio was 0,48. Despite the high occupancy rate, the number of transfers to other ICUs has been reduced to 2 %. The readmission rate is 2,6 %. A more detailed description of the activities of the department in Danish can be found here.
The unit is divided into three 3 teams – each led by one consultant and one nurse manager. A clinical development nurse is associated to each team, and one development nurse coordinates their work.
The focus of the research program at The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is the critically ill patient. Clinical and pathophysiological questions are assessed through clinical databases, pathophysiological studies of patients and experimental studies of critical diseases.
The research unit collaborates with several local, national and international organisations, including all of the ICUs in the Capital Region of Denmark, several other Danish and Scandinavian ICUs and the George Institute of International Health, University of Sydney.
The 5-year strategic research programme ‘New resuscitation strategies in severe sepsis’ The program includes 3 large multicenter RCTs on fluid therapy (the 6S trial), blood (the TRISS trial) and plasma transfusion for septic patients
Research staff
Anders Perner, ICU Consultant, PhD., EDIC Associated professor at Copenhagen University Hospital anders.perner@rh.regionh.dk
Doctors
Pre-graduate EducationThe department offers pre-graduate education for medical students. Dr Anders Perner is responsible for the pre-graduate education.
Post-graduate Education The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is one of 4 ICUs at the Copenhagen University Hospital. Being the largest ICU at the hospital we have the responsibility of training registrars in the fundamentals of intensive care medicine. 6 registrars are constantly present on the unit as part of their specialist anaesthetic training with rotations between 3 – 6 months. The registrars participate in both day and night shifts under close supervision of the senior registrars and consultants. The department has 2 - 3 senior doctors participating in the Scandinavian Intensive Care Training Program. The senior doctors are expected to obtain the European Diploma in Intensive Care Therapy (EDIC) upon completion of the 2-year course. The ICU also hosts doctors from other hospitals participating in the program. These candidates gain valuable experience through their one-year stay in the unit. Doctors in training from other medical and surgical specialties are often present in the unit as a part of their specialist training programs, gaining insight into intensive care treatment modalities and the challenges facing the ICU physicians Formal education meetings are held twice a week at the unit in subjects related to intensive care medicine. Attendance is compulsory.
The academic environment of the department is strengthened through the commitment and dedication of the senior doctors and their constant efforts to excel in all aspects of their work. Consultant, Jonathan White, is responsible for the post-graduate educational program.
Nurses
Pre-graduate education
The unit provides training for nursing students at all levels of clinical nursing education. In addition to clinical training the unit also collaborates with nursing students in preparation of their final BA project. Clinical nursing supervisor Ane-Grethe Jespersen is responsible for coordination of the nursing students attached to the unit.
Post-graduate education
All newly appointed nursing staff commence their employment with an introductory program. The introductory program encompasses both clinical and theoretical teaching and has a duration of approximately 3 months. The clinical training program is supervised by dedicated nursing staff and tailored to individual requirement in collaboration with the appointed nurses mentor. The theoretical training program is held predominantly on the ward, however some courses are run at other units in the Greater Copenhagen area.
Specialist training courses for intensive care nurses
The unit has a key role in educating nurses during their specialist training in intensive care. Between 12 to 14 intensive care nurses are trained annually in the unit. The clinical nursing specialist Mette Rosendahl-Nielsen is responsible for the training program within the unit.
The duration of the training program is 18 months. It is both a clinical and theoretical postgraduate training program built up on the concepts of basic nursing education. Candidates applying for the training program must have a minimum of two years clinical experience and must have achieved all objectives defined in the introductory period prior to application.
The specialist training program consists of both clinical training in the unit, compulsory attendance of theoretical courses, clinical training in an ICU and a recovery unit remote from our own unit and composition of a final written paper (relevant to the intensive care field).
Upon completion of the specialist-training program nurses in the unit can engage in one of the many medical specialities represented in the unit, participate in various taskforces or undertake responsibility regarding unit management or training and education.
In addition to the internal training of nurses the unit also serves as traineeship for external trainees.
Detailed information on the training programmes is available on the Danish website.
Contact Information
Head of the Department Jan BondeMail: jan.bonde@rh.regionh.dkTel. +45 3545 8205
Chief Nursing OfficerSidsel JessenMail: sidsel.jessen@rh.regionh.dkTlf.: +45 3545 1046Intensive Care Unit 4131Copenhagen University Hospital, RigshospitaletBlegdamsvej 9DK-2100 CopenhagenDENMARK
Tlf. +45 3545 4131Fax. +45 3545 2736intensiv@rh.regionh.dk
Intensive Care Unit 4131Copenhagen University Hospital, RigshospitaletBlegdamsvej 9DK-2100 CopenhagenDENMARK
The risk of women who use a contraceptive vaginal ring or contraceptive patches developing blood clots is 6.5-7.7 times greater than for women who use a non-hormonal contraceptive This is the result of a new study from Rigshospitalet and Hillerød Hospital.
A team of researchers at Rigshospitalet has found a new and simple way of detecting testicular cancer before it starts. This discovery will benefit patients in both Denmark and abroad.
Copenhagen Conference 2012 June 14th and 15th on “Gender and Health through Life” with support and participation from the Danish EU Presidency.