Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
Leadership
Risa Katz, BSN, RN, CCRN
Nursing Director
Jennifer Joiner, MSN, RN, CCRN-CSC
Nursing Educator
About the Unit
CCU is a 14-bed unit located in the Cancer Hospital Building on the third floor. It is open 24-hours- a-day, 7-days-a-week.
Staff
Head Nurse: Victoria Choudhury, BSN, RN, CCRN
Head Nurse: Analyn Mercado, RN
Case Manager: Jackie Barlow-Holmes, RN
Social Worker: Nicole Schuren
There is one critical care technician each shift who assists with basic patient care. There is a unit secretary on each shift to perform data entry and secretarial duties.
Patient population
The CCU nursing staff cares for adult patients ages 18 years through the lifespan. These diagnoses include but are not limited to myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, post- cardiac/respiratory
Patient Care Needs
Patients in the CCU require one-on-one or two-on-one nursing care. They are provided with continuous cardiac monitoring and interpretation, intermittent 12-lead EKG performance, hemodynamic monitoring, continuous pulse oximetry, ventilator monitoring, hourly intake & output, CVVHD, IABP, pacemakers, chest tube placement and management, transfusion of blood and blood products, cardioversion, and defibrillation. Intravenous pharmacological agents utilized include but are not limited to: dobutamine, dopamine, heparin, lidocaine, milrinone, nitroglycerin, pronestyl, cardizem, reopro, adenosine, amiodarone, lasix, norepinephrine, nitroprusside, and phenylephrine.
About Our Nurses
Nursing care is provided by professional registered nurses competent in the care of critically-ill medical cardiology patients. Competencies include, but are not limited to:
- Telemetry certification
- Managing pulmonary artery catheters
- Managing mechanical ventilator
- Critical care certification (select nurses)
- Utilizing train-of-four monitor
- IV certification
- Managing temporary transthoracic external pacemaker/defibrillator
- Managing an intra-aortic balloon pump
- Managing a patient receiving conscious sedation
- Managing arterial lines
- Preparing and titrating medicated drips
- Managing a temporary transvenous pacemaker
- Performing cardioversion and defibrillation
- Managing CVVHD
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