LVADS

[dbell198]

Can anyone provide any info on LVAD nurses and how much training is required to get certified.

Are there many certified LVAD nurses out there?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I am unaware of any special certification for LVAD nursing, other than the competency required by the hospital to care for LVAD patients. I'll be interested to see what responses you get.

[CarrieBRN]

I work at a university hospital where we accept VAD and total artificial heart patients. I had several classes, modules, and hours training with LVADs (HeartMate2 and Heartware mainly). I also attended a class called "Advanced Cardiac Therapies" where the top staff physicians and surgeons educate RNs and MDs on every mechanical device we offer as well as transplants. From all of this, I have never received a "certification" other than through the hospital. Obviously it is a very limited field since VADs are not everywhere. However, it is an excellent area to have knowledge in since it is rather rare.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I too just had classes through work, and it wasn't an actual cert.

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

I work at a university hospital where we accept VAD and total artificial heart patients. I had several classes, modules, and hours training with LVADs (HeartMate2 and Heartware mainly). I also attended a class called "Advanced Cardiac Therapies" where the top staff physicians and surgeons educate RNs and MDs on every mechanical device we offer as well as transplants. From all of this, I have never received a "certification" other than through the hospital. Obviously it is a very limited field since VADs are not everywhere. However, it is an excellent area to have knowledge in since it is rather rare.

I'm familiar with LVADs, from heartmate 1 and 2, to Heartware, but what is a total artificial heart? I've never come across that in my ED. I'm intrigued by it though.

[RN617]

I'm familiar with LVADs, from heartmate 1 and 2, to Heartware, but what is a total artificial heart? I've never come across that in my ED. I'm intrigued by it though.

I'm on a step-down unit and our total artificial hearts rarely go home, so they don't end up in the ED. The one we primarily use, the Syncardia Companion 2 driver, cannot leave the hospital so those patients are status 1A (highest listing) to get a transplant and stay there until they get transplanted. We had been using a Freedom Driver TAH in which the patient can go home, but our surgeons really don't like the product because of frequent alarms and haven't implanted one in quite a while.

[RNpatterson]

I'm a VAD coordinator at my hospital. No certification that I am aware of. Cardiac ICU background with VAD experience is quite common for coordinators. Once in the role, there are opportunities for formal training through Thoratec (HeartMate) and HeartWare, and of course opportunities for conferences. When I was in the ICU, the only training I received was through the hospital.

[LadyTiger44]

When I did VAD's there was no certification. At my hospital it was in PCU, and you just did shadowing with other VAD nurses and took a review class I believe.

[PedsRNCVICU]

We currently have three pts on our unit with LVADs, one Heartware and two Berlins. We had in-services from company reps and training with our unit educator then had skills validations as far as changing batteries, adjusting Hct, handling suction events etc. Its the same with us as everyone else is saying; no certification.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

There are manufacturer certifications. The professional body, ICCAC (international consortium of circulatory assist clinicians) at http://www.vadcoordinator.org has been working on a VAD certification exam for a couple of years. Many VAD coordinators are CCTC certified as transplant coordinators also.