Celebrate with the Society in May to recognize your colleagues and spread the word about critical care! The month of May marks National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month. The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), partnering with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), recognizes the devoted professionals whose compassion and dedication to the care of the critically ill and injured has made a difference in the lives of patients and their families.
SCCM Joins Effort to Ensure Healthy Work Environments. The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) has joined a cooperative effort to promote healthy work environments in healthcare.
Read about the six evidence-based standards helping to overcome circumstances and conditions that can contribute to medical errors and put patients at risk in the
February 2007 issue of
Critical Connections.
Read the 2007
news release about National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month.
Here are a few ways you can become actively involved in celebrating National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month:
Wear blue! Wear blue to show your support of National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month. The Society of Critical Care Medicine has a wide range of blue merchandise available, including shirts, neck ties and mugs, that will allow you to show your support of both critical care and the Society. To view the entire selection,
click here. For a "do it yourself" option, visit a local fabric store and purchase blue ribbon to pin on your team members.
Recognize members of your critical care team. Take a moment to praise your fellow colleagues for their hard work and commitment in caring for the critically ill and injured.
Teach patients and families about critical care. Patients and families are often confused about critical care, what critical care practitioners do, and the ICU setting. Teach patients and families about critical care by directing them to SCCM's Web site
www.myicucare.org, display and distribute SCCM's Patient and Family Support Brochures (available from the
SCCM online store), and post SCCM's
Membership Poster.
Give the gift of SCCM Membership to one of your colleagues. Critical care practitioners will experience the many benefits of SCCM membership, such as a free subscription to Critical Care Medicine, discounts to SCCM meetings, publications and products, and more, through your gift. Visit the Membership Web page to give a one-year membership to one of your colleagues.
Make a donation to the Critical Care Education and Research Foundation (CCERF). You can make a donation in honor or memory of a key mentor or critical care influence in your life, or you can designate your donation to a specific patient safety initiative. To view all options, visit the Support SCCM Web page.
Be a mentor for young critical care professionals. Encourage those interested in medicine to enter the exciting field of critical care.
Tap into the many resources SCCM has to offer: Improving Your ICU: Tips for Better Care - This brochure highlights ways you can improve the care you provide to critically ill patients and outlines ways in which your ICU can gain media recognition in your community.
Train Non-critical Care Professionals in Your Organization - Through SCCM's Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) program, healthcare professionals not trained in critical care can learn the basics of caring for critically ill or injured patients during the first 24 hours. Contact SCCM at +1 847 827-6869 for more information on sponsoring the course at your institution.
The Society offers a number of educational and administrative resources for improving your ICU. Click here to browse the Society's extensive offering of publications, products, and electronic media, such as:
-Patient and Family Support Brochures
-Guidelines/Practice Parameters Notebook
-Improving Care in the ICU
-Critical Care Unit Design & Furnishing
-ICU Design Video and Booklet
-Coding and Billing for Critical Care
-You and the ICU CD-ROM
-Clinical Practice and Administrative Guidelines CD-ROM
-Talking Money with Administrators CD-ROM