Cardiac Patient Care

"We want to be a leader in cardiac nursing care," says Mary Hosler, RN, BSN, Cardiac Nurse Specialist. "Our nurses work collaboratively with physicians and specialist teams, like respiratory therapy, pharmacy, dietary, case managers, and cardiac rehabilitation. Outcomes of this care are evidenced by a recent 5 Star award from Health Grades for excellence in cardiac care.

With the team and through various cardiac workgroups we develop care pathways that guide patient care according to national cardiac standards. Of utmost importance is a partnership with our patients. That means developing programs that appeal to all levels of learning. We want patients to thoroughly understand their cardiac condition, and to recognize what they can and must do for the long-term for their heart to heal.

"Patients instinctively know when they have received quality care. They know when the nursing staff is attentive to details that support their recovery and rehabilitation from a life-changing health event. It’s important that our nurses help patients and families work through their fears, and develop healthy lifestyle plans that will last for a lifetime."

"I assess each patient’s needs – not just the obvious physical concerns, but their pain level, their emotional status. For many patients, any heart event is a ‘speed bump’ on the road of life. It forces patients to take stock, slow down, and think about the quality of life they want to live. For open heart surgery patients, in particular, it’s a ‘wake-up’ call that is in their face about how they eat, exercise, whether they smoke, how much stress they’re under, and their bodies are eager for changes to be made. We want our patients to be proactive with their heart health, and patient education is a priority." Margaret Mosier, RN.

"There are some patients who are dealt some bad genetic heart cards. Some of these patients have followed a pretty healthy lifestyle because they knew they were at risk. Some thought: ‘I’ll be the family member that beats this.’ Unfortunately, you can’t deal genetically predisposed patients a new hand. But you can help them examine all aspects of their lifestyle – what can they change? Can they adjust their diet a bit more? Are there some additional exercise opportunities? How can they reduce stress in their lives? We encourage them to be messengers to their family and friends that heart disease is pretty unforgiving. No matter what someone’s age, they can choose to be heart healthy." Ann Vega, RN.

"Heart disease is complicated. You need to be able to prioritize, make quick decisions, and think quickly on your feet. In the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, we really work as a team. If the patient is stable four to six hours after surgery, we work with respiratory to extubate the patient and get them breathing oxygen. Dietary, pharmacy, and case management get involved very quickly. When the patient wakes up from surgery, they’re in pain. It may take awhile to get oriented. Our most important focus is to get them stable. You have to be focused, while multi-tasking, and the adrenaline just keeps coming." Di Katt, RN, BSN, CCRN, CSC