Are you familiar with the different types of intensive care units (ICU)?

The intensive care unit is one of the most medically complex environments an SLP can practice in—and understanding the medical context is essential for making sound clinical decisions. In this comprehensive course, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the different types of ICUs, the speech-language pathologist’s role within each setting, and how critical illnesses, neurological injuries, and surgical procedures impact swallowing, communication, cognition, and consciousness. You’ll also learn to interpret key medical information, including chart findings and clinical measures such as ASPECTS and TICI scores, to better understand a patient’s presentation and potential recovery.

By the end of this course, you’ll be better equipped to identify the most important information in the medical record, collaborate confidently with physicians and the multidisciplinary ICU team, and provide personalized interventions for patients with dysphagia, tracheostomies, communication impairments, and disorders of consciousness. Whether you’re new to acute care or looking to strengthen your ICU expertise, you’ll leave with practical, evidence-informed strategies you can immediately apply to improve patient care in this fast-paced clinical setting.