Visitor Information
It can be a very emotional and stressful time when you have a loved one or a family member who is in Critical Care, or undergoing a surgical procedure. Our desire is to maintain a peaceful and comfortable environment for all our guests. Our adult Critical Care Units:
- Neuro ICU — Neuro Intensive Care Unit
- CTICU — Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit
- CVICU — Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
- STICU — Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit
- MICU — Medical Intensive Care Unit
- Critical Care Unit - Cary Hospital
Our Surgical Services areas:
- OR — Operating Room
- PACU — Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Important Numbers
The following phone numbers are provided for your information. If you are calling from within the hospital, simply dial "0" followed by the last four digits. To reach the operator, dial "08000."
- Raleigh Campus Critical Care & Surgery Waiting Room: 919-350-8296
- WakeMed Operator: 919-350-8000
- Chaplain: 919-350-8556
- Public Safety: 919-350-8171
Keeping You Informed
Receptionist Support — A receptionist is available in the Raleigh Campus Critical Care Waiting Room 24 hours a day. The receptionist's role is to make sure you receive important information about your loved one who is receiving care. Please check in with the receptionist whenever you leave or return to the Waiting Room.
One Temporary Pager — Families are often hesitant to leave the Waiting Room for fear of missing vital information about their loved one. A pager makes going to get a meal or cup of coffee and browsing in the WakeMed Gift Shop worry-free. You can sign out a pager (one per family, please!) from the receptionist. The pager will only work on the hospital campus. Please return the pager to the receptionist by 9:30 pm for recharging.
Spokesperson Password — In accordance with federal Health Information Portability and Accountability Act regulations, your loved one must designate a patient/family spokesperson. The patient/family spokesperson will be required to select a password and use it each time he/she requests patient updates. The spokesperson is the only person who can receive information about you.
Maintaining a Peaceful Environment
The Waiting Room — Designed to accommodate adults who are waiting for patient information or to visit with their loved one, visitors may spend long periods of time in the Waiting Room. Therefore, we make every effort to maintain a quiet environment that is free of distractions and clutter.
Children — We recognize that a child can be a welcome visitor. Therefore, children ages 12 and under are permitted to visit with loved ones in WakeMed Critical Care areas if they receive permission from the unit's charge nurse or your loved one's nurse. Children are not permitted to visit with patients in Surgical Services areas.
When in the Waiting Room, children must be accompanied by an adult and remain calm and quiet. Active children are welcome in our First Floor waiting area in the E-tower near the main entrance. They should be accompanied by an adult. if you are in the First Floor waiting area with your child, the Waiting Room receptionist can reach you by pager, courtesy phone or cellular phone.
Please note that during certain circumstances (such as flu season) children will be restricted to public areas of the hospital and will not be permitted to visit with patients.
Food & Beverages
WakeMed Gift Shops are on the first floor of both Raleigh Campus and Cary Hospital, selling snacks, soft drinks, gifts and sundries.
Safety & Privacy
For the safety and privacy of our patients and visitors, please do not use the following devices in the CCSWR:
- Radios
- Cameras
- Recording devices
- CD/DVD players
- iPods/MP3 players
- Headsets
Cellular Phones
You are welcome to use your cellular phone in the Waiting Room. However, please note that cellular phone use is not permitted in nursing units or patient rooms.
Infection Control
According to national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, flowers and fresh plants are not allowed in critical care units. Visitors should check with the nursing staff before bringing food in from the outside.
Upon entering a critical care or surgical services area, all visitors and guests should wash their hands. Additionally, all visitors and guests should observe the infection control guidelines related to patient isolation. If you have questions, please ask the nursing staff when entering the critical care area.
For the safety of all visitors, the use of inflatable mattresses, cots, or sleeping bags is prohibited by the Raleigh City fire code and the National Protection Association regulations. In addition, pulling multiple chairs together to create a sleeping surface or lying on the floor is not permitted.
Overnight Accommodations
The Raleigh Campus Critical Care & Surgery Waiting Room is not designed for visitors to spend the night. Please return home to get a good night's sleep or make a reservation at a nearby hotel or motel. Please ask the Waiting Room receptionist for a current listing of local accommodations that offer discounts to WakeMed patients' families or click to view the online listings on our website.
Lodging for cardiac patients and their families is available on Raleigh Campus in the Heart Center Inn which is on the third floor of the Heart Center on the WakeMed Raleigh Campus.
It operates like a hotel, with special resources and services related to cardiac care. Visitors remaining in the waiting room may direct their questions to the unit's charge nurse by using the telephone/intercom system on the wall adjacent to the unit's main entrance. The waiting room receptionist may also assist with locating nursing staff for assistance.
Additional lodging options can be found here.
Chaplains
A chaplain is available to visit with you and your loved one 24 hours a day. WakeMed also offers Chapels on both Raleigh Campus and at Cary Hospital, which are open around the clock for prayer and meditation. You may call a Chaplain at this phone number: 919-350-8556. Learn more about our Chaplains.
WakeMed Is Tobacco-free
WakeMed Health & Hospitals is a completely tobacco-free health system. This policy, which supports WakeMed's commitment to the promotion of good health, prohibits the use of any tobacco products on all WakeMed campuses, facilities and office space (including parking lots, sidewalks and other outside areas). The tobacco-free policy applies to everyone at these facilities, including employees, volunteers, medical staff, vendors, patients and visitors.