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CS130
Caring for the Immediate Post-op Cardiac Surgery Patient on the Progressive Cardiovascular Care Unit
By Elizabeth Clark, & S. Ryan, Mercy & Unity Hospitals, Elk River, MN
For further information, please contact: elizabeth.clark@allina.com
Purpose: In April 2004 a new cardiovascular care unit opened which included a single-unit stay cardiac surgery program. The challenge to the cardiovascular leadership was to develop and provide an education and training program for current progressive care nurses that would ensure excellent care for this new patient population.
Description: Those nurses with a desire to participate in the new care delivery model were selected based on experience and demonstrated abilities. Groups of five to seven at a time received education and training including: ECCO, a computer based critical care orientation program, ventilator training and airway management, hemodynamic monitoring, critical care pharmacology, and post-anesthesia care. Clinical experiences included two months of precepted shifts in the ICU, a shift with a respiratory therapist, a precepted shift in the PACU, and observation of cardiac surgery. Upon completion of the cardiac surgery education program, the nurses were able to care for immediate post-operative cardiac surgery patients. An experienced critical care nurse and the CNS were available as resources on the unit for the first two months.
Evaluation/Outcomes: Within three months the progressive care nurses demonstrated increased skill and confidence ensuring excellent post-operative cardiac surgery outcomes. The efforts of this multidisciplinary team in providing a solid orientation program proved successful as demonstrated by patient outcome measures, the comfort and skill level of the nurses, as well as positive feedback from patients, families and the cardiac surgery team.
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