CMICU/CVICU at Mercy Hospital South
December 2022
CMICU/CVICU
at Mercy Hospital South
Mercy Hospital South (St. Louis)
St. Louis
,
MO
United States
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
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.