Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU): The CICU is a 26-bed unit. This unit provides for comprehensive cardiac care to pediatric patients and their families. The CICU Patient Care Management Team coordinates interdisciplinary patient assessment and patient care and provided by cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and pediatric intensivists and nursing in conjunction with multiple specialty services within the Medical Center. Patients are admitted to the CICU from the ED, Cardiac Clinic, the Operating Room, and transfers from in-house units as well as transports from other institutions via the Pediatric Transport team. The CICU also provides for extracorporeal life support (ECMO) and rapid deployment ECMO. Twenty to twenty-five percent of the intensive care patients are cardiovascular surgery or cardiac patients. Children requiring repair of congenital heart defects from the simple to the complex, including heart transplants receive care in the CICU.
All nursing practice is based on the legal scope of practice, national and specialty nursing standards, Children's National Policies and Procedures, and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Professional Model of Care requires registered professional nurses to be responsible and accountable for their own practice. Children's National supports the development of RN relationships within the community; specifically those relationships associated with the health and well being of the community at large.