Nurse Specialists

Our nurses are highly trained and deliver specialized care to cardiology patients and their families. The nursing team includes nurse practitioners, cardiac care clinicians, certified nurse specialists, operating room nurses, intensive care unit and staff nurses who work collaboratively to provide the best care possible for patients and families.

The nurses of the Heart Center contribute to the care of our patients in a variety of settings. We have nurse specialists in the clinc, catheterization, lab, inpatient cardiac care unit, operating room, cardiac intensive care unit and pre-admission testing, cardiac diagnostics, discharge planning and the adult congenital heart disease program.

To learn more about nursing at the Heart Center, read below:

Cardiac Care Clinicians
The Cardiac Care Clinicians are a vital communication and patient care link between Cardiology Physicians, Cardiology Intensivist’s, Cardiothoracic Surgeons and the Cardiac Care In-patient unit. They perform procedures, teach wound care, pre-op teaching and facilitate the patient discharge process.

Cardiac Diagnostics
The RN’s in this area schedule and coordinates all sedated procedures, give sedation and monitor our patients during and after the procedure.

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
The CICU is comprised of an experienced group of tenured RN’s with advanced education for CCRN’s and PALs. They educate families and patients. Their specialty is taking care of post op critical heart patients in collaboration with The Heart Center Cardio Thoracic Intensivist’s, Cardiac Care Clinicians and APN’s.  They develop care strategies for a wide spectrum of heart patients which include neonatal Jehovah’s Witness patients to ECMO, Heart Transplant, Lung Transplant and adults with congenital heart disease. The APN’s ensure that patients are ready for surgery through pre-admission testing assessment and manage the care of postoperative and critical care of CICU patients.

Catheterization Lab
This team of nurses assists with cardiac catheterizations and trans-catheter interventional therapy. They function in the cath lab as well as act as a resource to staff and families.  They educate families before and after their procedures regarding the patient’s congenital heart defect and treatment. Also, they are involved in submitting clinical research and data to respected educational sessions.

Electrophysiology and Ablation procedures also occur in the lab and the nurse coordinates pacemaker clinic which includes patient and family education before and after procedures are performed.

Congenital Heart Disease Program
This program is supported by two Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) who coordinate and manage inpatient and outpatient care of young adults with congenital heart disease. 

Discharge Planning
Excellent communication is the key to ensuring that families and patients will have what they need once they are ready to go home. Our nurses facilitate discharge planning by working with The Heart Center multi disciplinary team to formulate an appropriate discharge plan for our patients. This includes teaching the patient about their home-going instructions and medications. In addition they are first responders to triage calls and assist with providing nursing care at outreach clinics. 

Heart Center Clinic
The clinic nurses serve a diverse patient population from newborns to adult Cardiology and Cardio Thoracic patients. They comfort their families in stressful situations and collaborate with referring physicians, Cardiologists and Cardiac Diagnostics staff to ensure timely and effective patient care. The clinic is fortunate to have an APN who works to coordinate the long term care of patients with complex congenital heart disease and to manage lab values and drug dosing for patients on anticoagulation therapy.

Inpatient Cardiac Care Unit
Cardiac, Cardio Thoracic, Heart Transplant, Lung Transplant and Heart/Lung Transplant patients receive specialized nursing care on our Cardiac Care step down unit. There is a home-like atmosphere that is conducive to our patients and families effectively and safely moving through the continuum of care.  Patients receive teaching on a wide variety of topics such as their disease process, pain control, immunizations, car seat safety, coordination of nursing follow up once at home and how to take their medications.

Operating Room
The operating room nurses assist the surgeons and coordinate the operating room tasks performed by the surgical team. They assist anesthesia with induction of the patient for surgery by placing monitors, starting IV’s and positioning.  They also scrub in to pass instruments and assist the surgeon as well as circulating duties that include charting during the case, monitoring the patient, communicating with the Cardiac Care Clinicians, Cardiologists and the CICU team to coordinate the best care for the patient.