RNpatterson

RNpatterson

Mechanical Circulatory Support

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About RNpatterson

RNpatterson has 3 years experience and specializes in Mechanical Circulatory Support.


Hi!! I love cardiac! have always loved cardiac! and will always love cardiac! I started out in a cardiothoracic ICU and have since found my calling as a VAD coordinator.

Latest Activity

  1. LVADS

    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 Hea...
  2. Critical drips

    Ketamine isn't as scary as it sounds. I know our facility has a lower max dose on the floors compared to the ICU and it can really help with pain control (amio, cardizem, heparin all fair game on the floors here.). Levo and insulin gtts out of the IC...
  3. Fresh Heart Training

    I started on a smaller CVICU first and I worked on the unit as a tech while in school which helped once I became a nurse. Being overwhelmed is good when you're new - it means you're learning. At that facility, we encouraged new nurses to take the sic...
  4. Impella vs IABP

    The IABP only offloads the heart by about 15% which is often all is needed. The impella tends to offer more assistance and the newest model has the ability to offer full cardiac assistance. Balloon pumps are often used to assist in the recovery of c...
  5. LVAD programs around the country?

    I didn't mean to offend but I did start my post by saying I can only speak to my experience at my facility... hiccups? really?
  6. New to CVICU

    Ask tons of questions! I always ask my orientees what their background is and what kind of patients they have taken so far in orientation, and what kinds of patients or skills they want to work on... it gives me a gauge of where they are on the learn...
  7. LVAD programs around the country?

    Oy... VAD coordinator from step-down? All of ours have at least a decade of CVICU experience on units utilizing VADs. I can't speak for the rest of the nation or for anyone else's experience (including yours) but that thought kind of terrifies me. Gr...
  8. lung transplant epidural

    I haven't done any research on the topic but I can say our facility does them fairly quickly; we generally try to get it done before lifting sedation. It's rare, but sometimes they'll do it immediately post-op in the OR and also rare and far more unf...
  9. Staffing & Patient Acuity

    We're pretty spoiled with our post-ops as well. We single our post-ops until extubated and dangled (mobility is HUGE in our ICU). If a pt is extubated toward the middle or end of the shift, they are usually left 1:1 for one more shift. My hospital is...
  10. Heparin Protocol questions

    Our facility uses weight-based protocol but pharmacy uses the weight to determine a starting rate and bolus dose - that's the only time weight is factored into our use. The order set then shows the protocol for rate changes and bolus amount based on ...
  11. I want to leave my job - advice please!

    Update --- I have seen many threads and posts about RNs wanting to leave their jobs and start a new field. I look back on this post and almost can't believe I wrote it. I really enjoy my job! While I do miss working with the underserved and the chall...
  12. I want to leave my job - advice please!

    I was hired as a new grad into an inner-city ICU and absolutely loved my job and everyone I worked with. After a year, my husband and I had the opportunity to move out of state which I was quite happy about but of course that meant I had to put in my...
  13. seattle rn positions

    I'm moving to Seattle next month from Michigan. I applied to UW, VM, Northwest, and Swedish - within a week I had interviews lined up with all of them, last week I flew out and was offered jobs at all of the facilities (and accepted a position at UW)...
  14. Poll: I got my new grad job in...?

    Michigan - Cardiac ICU
  15. Moving to Seattle - job advice please

    Good point and that brings up another question I have. We're planning on living somewhere downtown (where I get a job will help guide where specifically)... Is public transportation a reliable resource to get to/from the hospitals i.e. UW, Harborview...