Faced with complex and critical situations, nurses at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal (part of the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal) are always adapting to new technology and methods to administer better care. One of those methods is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (EMCO), which provides temporary life support to the heart and lungs of critically ill patients when other medical interventions aren’t working.

The project’s goal was to introduce a hyperspecialized EMCO training program for ICU nurses. The training program was designed by a multidisciplinary team and includes theoretical courses, onsite simulations and continuing education workshops. Through this program, 18 nurses have received training and can now provide quality, specialized, around-the-clock care to patients.

Previously, only clinical perfusionists could monitor and adjust EMCO. The problem there is that clinical perfusionists are usually busy working in the operating room (OR). The scarcity of perfusionists made it difficult to use EMCO since they had to go between the OR and the ICU.

Since the program was introduced, specialized nurses have spent more than 1,200 hours managing, monitoring and adjusting EMCO, which has considerably reduced the need for clinical perfusionists. Thanks to this program, perfusionists no longer have to be called away from the OR, and both units can provide the right care to patients.

Project submitted by:

Amélie Fleury-Larocque, Nurse Clinician

Contributors:

Isabelle Daoust, Nurse Clinician