Lucy Gosnell, Senior Sister in the Intensive Care Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, presented at the annual British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) national conference.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Adapting to a Changing Landscape” and Lucy presented on her experience of leading the unit to become the first in the country to gain accreditation under the international HU-CI and AENOR Certification of Good Practices in Humanization of Intensive Care.

The HU-CI certification process focuses on supporting the wellbeing of the patient, their family and the healthcare team around them, including promoting good communication, supporting the patient’s spiritual needs, and making sure patients have access to natural light.

ICU can be an overwhelming place for patients. Staff complete diaries for patients to help them understand what happened during their stay, and follow-up clinics help them talk through their experience and come to terms with what has happened. Expert support from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychology teams helps with their long-term recovery.

Hospitals with HU-CI certification have seen a reduction in patients’ length of stay in intensive care, and a decrease in the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Research has also shown a fall in the number of patients discharged to a care home or rehabilitation facility, helping them get home more quickly.

Matron, Alejandro Suarez said: “This achievement, along with the care provided to our patients, reflects the incredible dedication and collaboration of our entire ICU team. Every member played a vital role in embedding humanised care practices, ensuring patients and families receive compassionate, holistic support. Together, the team set a benchmark for excellence in critical care.”

The presentation was well-received and well-attended, and afterwards Lucy was flooded with questions and emails from other hospitals asking for her help benchmarking their units against the HU-CI standards. Colleagues at the HU-CI Project have also received emails enquiring about accreditation.

Following the presentation Lucy was approached by the BACCN Journal, Nursing in Critical Care who are soon to publish a special edition titled “Humanizing and Elevating Critical Care: The Power of Families” and asked to write the editorial. The guest editors of this special edition, Dr Peter Nydahl and Anne-Sylvie Ramelet, are globally-recognised experts in the world of ITU rehab and published scholars with deep involvement in critical care guidelines and education across Europe.

Lucy said: “When we humanise care, we elevate it. We cannot change the fact that critical illness is traumatic but we can change the way it is experienced. We can make it more compassionate, more connected, and more healing for patients and families.”