The CVOR Registered Nurse provides specialized patient care in a pediatric cardiovascular surgical setting in accordance with applicable scope and standards of practice with the policies, values, and mission of the organization. The CVOR nurse monitors and manages the patient and operative environment during surgery to maintain a safe environment, optimize outcomes and maximize available resources. May float to general OR occasionally to support staffing.
About Children's National Heart Institute Cardiac Surgery Program
Congenital Heart Defect Surgery: We offer the full spectrum of congenital heart surgeries, including the most complex procedures. Our focus is on early primary repair and many of our surgeries are performed on children during the first few days of life.
Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Program: Our experienced team provides a full spectrum of therapies for children with heart failure. When transplantation is indicated, we collaborate with nearby MedStar Washington Hospital Center to provide heart transplantation for children.
Ventricular Assist Devices Program: We offer the next generation of ventricular assist devices, a pump that keeps blood pumping through the left or right heart ventricles, to stabilize children awaiting heart transplant. While VADs are routinely used in adults, they have only recently been used for children. We are one of a few elite programs using this life-saving technology for children, including the Berlin Heart®, the only VAD available for babies and small children.
Children’s National performs nearly 17,000 procedures each year on infants, children and adolescents, including kidney transplants, scoliosis, hernia repairs, and procedures to treat disorders and abnormalities of the esophagus and trachea. Other special services include corneal implants and cataract surgeries, and we specialize in cochlear implant for the ear. Children’s surgeons perform laser surgery and employ many types of minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy and thoracoscopy.
Children’s National has a world-class team of pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and support staff who have developed a variety of programs designed with children in mind. One of our newest additions is the DaVinci robot and MRI suite.
Functions as a Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic OR Nurse
- Maintain proficiency in Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic surgery and serve as a resource for new information or changes to Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic care.
- Consults and coordinates with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement and evaluate intraoperative patient care plan
- Consider assessment data gathered during handoff and from the patient and family to ensure completion of plan of care
- Prepares the CV operating room for the patient and surgical procedure. Assembles equipment, supplies and implants, and ensures equipment is function, supplies and implants are available. Demonstrates proficiency in both open and closed heart procedures.
- Understands the purpose of positioning devices and uses them correctly, following policy, to protect the patient from injury and to promote optimal exposure of the surgical site.
- Actively participates in Universal Protocol and timeout, including the fire risk assessment with the surgical team prior to the start of the surgical procedure according to hospital guidelines. Completes the post procedure pause at the conclusion of the case.
- Delivers perioperative patient and family centered care incorporating the nursing process while providing developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, evidenced based care.
- Working knowledge of cardiopulmonary bypass and ECMO to assist team in rapid deployment
- Follows established policy and procedures for instrument counts; initiates corrective action when instrument counts are incorrect.
- Verifies medications, concentrations, expiration dates of all medication received on the sterile field in concert with surgical tech, surgeon, and anesthesia provider
- Utilizes outcome data at the patient level to make care decision in preparation for and during the surgical procedure
- Serves as the communication liaison to patients, families, and members of the operating room
- Participates in the quality improvement activities and uses quality measures to understand individual and unit performance
- Provides direct guidance and oversight of the orientee in all patient care and clinical activities and ensures those behaviors adhere to documentation standards, standards of care, and policies and procedures
- Participates in unit shared governance initiatives to improve patient care, throughput as determined by leadership
- Works within the scope of practice and delegates according to Nurse Practice Act
