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Key tasks in intensive care unit management |
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| Directing (leadership, internal/external) |
Quality management: quality assessment, continuous quality improvement, error handling, Morbidity and Mortality conferences, risk management, benchmarking, epidemiology and infection control, technology assessment |
| Knowledge management: training and education (physicians and nurses), life-long-learning, participation at professional meetings and courses |
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| Effective communication: availability of communication technology, communication training, practise of open discussion, communication with non-ICU partners |
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| Research: research financing and resource provision, scientific discussion, scientific experiments and clinical studies, report of planning and results |
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| Medical ethics: patients' and families' advocate, teaching and discussion with ICU staff, promotion of ethical awareness and behaviour, ethics committee, co-operation with social services |
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| 'Liason officer': patient and families, physician and nursing staff, hospital administration, department directors and medical partners, regional and professional authorities, and so on |
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| 'Policy maker': ICU services, intra-hospital co-operation, healthcare policy, medical professional policy |
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| Staffing |
Personnel resources, staff education and promotion, staff psychology and motivation, 'corporate identity', conflict management, staff advocate |
| Planning |
Change and innovation management, intra-hospital cooperation and concepts, architectural structure and ICU design, technology acquisition |
| Organizing |
Process assessment and improvement, negotiation with partners, improvement of intra-hospital processes |
| Budgeting |
Budget planning, resource allocation and utilisation, cost containment, cost/effectiveness assessment |
| Controlling |
Control of processes, time and resource use, of ICU staff atmosphere, of co-operation with non-ICU partners |
| Visions |
Improvement of structural conditions and human and physical resources, intra- and extra-hospital partners and relationships ('network') |
Strack van Schijndel and Burchardi Critical Care 2007 11:234 doi:10.1186/cc6108 |
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