December 2022 Honoree
CMICU/CVICU
Drew Abbadessa RN CCRN • Steffany Ahlheim RN • Julie Akufuna RN • Krista Allen RN • Wanda Balderas RN • Emily Baltz RN • Taylor Blake RN • Holly Blangger RN • Sharice Block RN • Brooke Bohnert RN • Nicole Boyer RN • Angie Brueggeman RN • Mariah Cade RN • Andrea Cannito RN CCRN • Hilary Carroll RN CCRN • Kelly Carson RN • Jessica Clark RN • Cassidy Crosley (Belleville) RN • Brenda Davis RN • Nichol Davis RN • Jenel Davy RN • Kourtney Detring (Chiarelli) RN • Kendal Dishman RN • Sonya Donald RN • Glenn Foran RN • Shana Foster RN • Kara Franklin RN • Gabby Gallois RN • Mandy Genz RN • Alaina Glaeser RN • Kristi Gmerek RN CCRN • Kim Griffin RN CCRN • Jenny Griggs RN • Sarah Grotha RN CCRN • Jenna Haselhorst RN • Robin Hayes RN • Justin Hennings RN • Grant Herring RN • Justine Hiatt RN • Kate Hodges RN • Amanda Huskey RN • Heather Johnston RN • Aldijana Karic RN • Jaime Leidenfrost RN • Holly Lewis RN • Jen Lim RN • Lauren Macy RN • Ali Mahesak RN • Abby Maloy RN • James McCully RN • Noah McDermott RN • Dana McKean RN • Nina Moehlenhoff RN • Andres Montero RN • Yahilin Munoz RN • Alex Narez RN • Rita Narimanova RN • Rebecca Nelson RN CCRN • Amanda Novak RN • MaryJane O’Brien RN • Alicia Orris RN • David Palmer RN • Kori Pearman RN • Laci Percifull RN • Lizzie Pfitzinger RN • Kate Pohlman RN • Erica Pogue RN • Juliana Posey RN • Julia Pozzini RN • Nika Pruitt RN • Jessica Resch RN • Rachel Rheinecker RN • Mike Richards RN • Bethany Richardson RN • Gina Rideout RN • Zach Rosecrans RN • Heather Rowland RN • Charlene Ruazol RN • Summyia Sadia RN • Miranda Seabaugh RN • Danielle Sears RN • Kim Sego RN • April Silud RN • Haley Sims RN • Jen Smelser RN • Kristen Smith RN • Jesse Spangler RN • Karly Spires RN • Sean Tallman RN • Solykutty Thomas RN • Hunter Thompson RN • Kari Tocco RN • Lorna Todd RN • Torie Toscano RN • Hailey Vanderleest RN • Mini Varghese RN • Sarah Varghese RN • Amy Vollmer RN • Tina Vongruenigen RN • Sydney Walker RN CCRN • Kevin Walsh RN • Michelle Walter RN • Liz Wolfenberger RN
The nurses of this unit are an incredible team and they continually perform above and beyond expectations. The nurses provide support to the house with their experience and expertise by being a resource for ultrasound guided IV starts, and responding to all Code Blue calls. The nurses also support by helping to staff other areas where and when there is a need.
In addition, this team accepted the challenge of being designated the COVID ICU at the beginning of the pandemic. At a time when no one really knew what was coming, this team pulled together and faced the unknown with incredible strength and resilience. Like everyone else, they were afraid for themselves and for their families, but they met the unknown head-on. They didn’t know if they would get sick or if they would bring the virus home and infect their families. Shift after shift, they tirelessly donned PPE to enter patient rooms and perform patient care. They would sometimes be in a room for several hours at a time administering medications, titrating multiple drips, assisting with intubations and line placement, managing CRRT, answering IV and ventilator alarms, and more. These nurses also had to take on the additional role of EVS for the department. During COVID CMICU was not serviced by EVS, so the unit received an EVS cart and the nurses were tasked with cleaning the floors and surfaces of each patient room and the common areas of the unit. They did all this while wearing full PPE, sweating underneath the plastic isolation gowns, with sweat dripping into their eyes as they worked. They would come out of the rooms with marks on the bridge of their nose and lines on the sides of their faces and foreheads left by the N-95 masks and face shields.
At the start of the pandemic, CMICU/CVICU was displaced to other areas of the hospital so the unit could be closed down to make the airflow negative pressure for COVID patients. The unit was shut down again in September 2022 for three days while the air flow system was upgraded and modified to bring the unit back to neutral pressure, and allow individual rooms to be switched to negative pressure as needed. Shutting down a 22-bed ICU is a huge undertaking. CMICU/CVICU co-workers came in extra to help transport patients and move necessary supplies and equipment to areas designated as a temporary ICU. In addition, the CVICU team was displaced from their home to other areas while the unit was entirely negative pressure to reduce the risk of COVID exposure to their patients who were recovering from open heart surgery.
During several peaks of the pandemic, the unit was proning upwards of 8-10 patients daily and the entire 22-bed unit was full with COVID patients. Patient acuity was extremely high and this team cared for them with incredible skill and compassion. The nurses were instrumental in collaborating with other disciplines to develop a proning protocol that would reduce prone-related pressure injuries for patients. Everyone provided emotional support for families who could not be with their loved ones. They saw married couples admitted to the ICU with COVID. Sometimes one or both of these couples would not make it home. The amount of loss this team has experienced is indescribable. These nurses took care of the sickest patients, and each death was traumatic. Patients would be transferred to the ICU on the maximum amount of oxygen. The nurses would get to know these patients, reassuring them and holding their hands. They would facilitate FaceTime sessions and support the patient and family members who couldn’t be present. They were there when these patients were intubated. Sadly, these co-workers knew the reality of the situation and that the odds of these patients coming off the ventilator were usually not in their favor. They have wheeled a spouse to the bedside of their partner to be present while life support was withdrawn. They have cried with each other, with their patients, with their own families, and with the families of their patients. They have cried alone in the bathroom, in their car, and in just about any other place you can imagine.
This team has experienced a lot in the last two years. They have done it with compassion, grace, and dignity, and they have persevered through it all with amazing skill, teamwork, professionalism, and selflessness. They are resilient and they have made it through probably the most difficult time of their life. They have given of themselves and sacrificed so much for the good of their patients. They have done all this because they have chosen a life of service. They have cared for the sickest of the sick in the midst of a global pandemic which is unprecedented in their lifetime. Thankfully, there has been a significant drop in the number and acuity of COVID patients. However, these nurses continue to do what they do best – pull together as a team, support each other, and provide excellent patient care.
In addition, this team accepted the challenge of being designated the COVID ICU at the beginning of the pandemic. At a time when no one really knew what was coming, this team pulled together and faced the unknown with incredible strength and resilience. Like everyone else, they were afraid for themselves and for their families, but they met the unknown head-on. They didn’t know if they would get sick or if they would bring the virus home and infect their families. Shift after shift, they tirelessly donned PPE to enter patient rooms and perform patient care. They would sometimes be in a room for several hours at a time administering medications, titrating multiple drips, assisting with intubations and line placement, managing CRRT, answering IV and ventilator alarms, and more. These nurses also had to take on the additional role of EVS for the department. During COVID CMICU was not serviced by EVS, so the unit received an EVS cart and the nurses were tasked with cleaning the floors and surfaces of each patient room and the common areas of the unit. They did all this while wearing full PPE, sweating underneath the plastic isolation gowns, with sweat dripping into their eyes as they worked. They would come out of the rooms with marks on the bridge of their nose and lines on the sides of their faces and foreheads left by the N-95 masks and face shields.
At the start of the pandemic, CMICU/CVICU was displaced to other areas of the hospital so the unit could be closed down to make the airflow negative pressure for COVID patients. The unit was shut down again in September 2022 for three days while the air flow system was upgraded and modified to bring the unit back to neutral pressure, and allow individual rooms to be switched to negative pressure as needed. Shutting down a 22-bed ICU is a huge undertaking. CMICU/CVICU co-workers came in extra to help transport patients and move necessary supplies and equipment to areas designated as a temporary ICU. In addition, the CVICU team was displaced from their home to other areas while the unit was entirely negative pressure to reduce the risk of COVID exposure to their patients who were recovering from open heart surgery.
During several peaks of the pandemic, the unit was proning upwards of 8-10 patients daily and the entire 22-bed unit was full with COVID patients. Patient acuity was extremely high and this team cared for them with incredible skill and compassion. The nurses were instrumental in collaborating with other disciplines to develop a proning protocol that would reduce prone-related pressure injuries for patients. Everyone provided emotional support for families who could not be with their loved ones. They saw married couples admitted to the ICU with COVID. Sometimes one or both of these couples would not make it home. The amount of loss this team has experienced is indescribable. These nurses took care of the sickest patients, and each death was traumatic. Patients would be transferred to the ICU on the maximum amount of oxygen. The nurses would get to know these patients, reassuring them and holding their hands. They would facilitate FaceTime sessions and support the patient and family members who couldn’t be present. They were there when these patients were intubated. Sadly, these co-workers knew the reality of the situation and that the odds of these patients coming off the ventilator were usually not in their favor. They have wheeled a spouse to the bedside of their partner to be present while life support was withdrawn. They have cried with each other, with their patients, with their own families, and with the families of their patients. They have cried alone in the bathroom, in their car, and in just about any other place you can imagine.
This team has experienced a lot in the last two years. They have done it with compassion, grace, and dignity, and they have persevered through it all with amazing skill, teamwork, professionalism, and selflessness. They are resilient and they have made it through probably the most difficult time of their life. They have given of themselves and sacrificed so much for the good of their patients. They have done all this because they have chosen a life of service. They have cared for the sickest of the sick in the midst of a global pandemic which is unprecedented in their lifetime. Thankfully, there has been a significant drop in the number and acuity of COVID patients. However, these nurses continue to do what they do best – pull together as a team, support each other, and provide excellent patient care.
Thank you for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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