Split-Second Decisions: Careers In Critical Care
There is no other job that Jayne Hebel, R.N., CCRN, would rather have than being a critical care nurse in the cardiovascular/neurosurgical intensive care unit at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield.
Nurses in the CVICU/NICU make quick decisions, have exceptional nursing skills and are committed to caring for patients who have had open heart and neurosurgical operations.
Immediately after surgery, the patient is moved to the ICU where nurses help stabilize the patient and monitor recovery. The nurses balance multiple technical tasks and coordinate all aspects of care for both patients and their families.
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Cardiovascular/neurosurgical intensive care exists to provide minute-to-minute intensive care and treatment for seriously ill postoperative patients. The department is staffed 24 hours a day to ensure uninterrupted care. The nurses vigilantly monitor patients whose conditions may become unstable at a moment’s notice.
In the course of her workday, Hebel balances many challenging and critical decisions. Anticipating the patient’s needs is both physically and mentally stressful. Hebel said her job is worth the challenges because of the care she gives her patients and the supportive environment that exists among physicians, surgeons and nurses.
“Critical care nurses keep a constant watch over their patients,” Hebel said. “Generally, we care for one or two patients at a time, monitoring the patient’s recovery immediately following surgery. When the condition improves, we transfer the patient to a different floor.
“The main goal of our staff is to help the patient progress to the next level of improved health,” Hebel said. “This is achieved by helping reduce blood pressure, carefully monitoring heart rate and rhythms and maintaining the patient’s correct oxygen levels. We also monitor any bleeding and manipulate many intravenous medications to ensure the heart is beating normally and growing stronger.”
Nurses constantly evaluate, analyze and support the decisions affecting the patients’ health. Hebel uses her professional, specialized knowledge, technical and interpersonal skills and clinical expertise when caring for her patients.
Although it is not required, she works 12-hour shifts two to three days a week. The longer shift allows one nurse to provide constant, uninterrupted care to the patient.
“I enjoy working in the ICU because CVICU/neurosurgical nurses are able to learn everything about one particular patient,” Hebel said. “The position is emotionally intense, but it is supported through the trust and respect we receive from the surgeons and physicians. We are given autonomy to make our own decisions.”
Each nurse receives specialized education and hands-on training in the critical care setting through an extensive orientation process and yearly recertification of skills. They are required to maintain their critical skills through a series of ongoing medical education, such as EKG interpretation, balloon pump certifications and pacemaker training.
In addition to being a registered nurse, Hebel also received certification in critical care nursing (CCRN). This is an advanced course to help nurses prepare for emergency and critical care experiences. Although the certification is not required, it provides additional knowledge about caring for this unique patient population.
“The CCRN information is what I am most proud of,” Hebel said. “This certification combines critical knowledge and experience and requires a lot of additional preparation.”
By making split-second decisions during advanced clinical procedures, Hebel thrives in her work and encourages anyone interested in the field to be prepared to work hard and look forward to a challenging and rewarding career.
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