Quick Tip
Get Oriented to the ICU Environment
Take our virtual ICU tour and ask your nurse follow-up questions about equipment specific to your loved one’s room or care. Understanding what each machine does reduces anxiety and helps you feel less overwhelmed.
Bring pajama pants (hospital gowns aren’t mandatory), underwear, personal hygiene items like toothbrush and familiar-smelling soap. For intubated patients, ask if you can apply chapstick or Vaseline to their lips. Noise-canceling headphones are invaluable in noisy ICUs.