Page 7 - Flipbook July Newsletter

The VAD & Heart Transplant Unit

The VAD & Heart Transplant Unit, also known as 7MCE, is located on the 7th Floor of Medical Center East
North Tower. We recently relocated from our old home on 7 North to a brand-new unit on 7MCE. This move was
long awaited, and we are so excited to finally be on 7MCE. Our unit is comprised of 30 patient rooms dedicated to
cardiac step-down patients and 6 cardiac observation rooms. We also have a space designed to serve as a satellite car-
diac rehab to allow for better accessibility, so our patients get the care that they need.

We specialize in caring for patients who require heart transplants, ventricular assist devices, coronary artery
bypass and valve surgeries, and cardiac procedures such as heart catheterizations, ablations, cardioversions, and pace-
maker or defibrillator placements. We are unique in the fact that we are the only unit outside of the Cardiovascular
ICU that is trained to care for patients with Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) and Total Artificial Hearts. We are also
the only step-down trained to perform peritoneal dialysis. The diversity in our patient populations requires our nurses
to have advanced critical thinking, assessment, and communication skills. We are exposed to some of the newest ad-
vancements in cardiac medicine which creates many learning opportunities. I started as a new nurse resident on this
unit and I still learn something new each shift.

Our nurse to patient ratio is 1:3-4, depending on patient acuity. One of the things that makes our unit so special
is the ability to care for patients throughout their heart failure journey. We get the opportunity to care and support
them from diagnosis of heart failure to advanced therapies to recovery. The personal connection we develop with our
patients and families is very special.

Another perk of working on 7MCE is the opportunity to be a part of a brand-new unit. When the unit was
under construction management was very diligent in assessing what we will need on our new unit. The spacious
rooms and new equipment make coming to work every day very enjoyable. "My favorite thing about the new unit is
all the large windows and views, it just makes everything seem so bright," said Abigail Millard, 7MCE RN. Abbey
Dillon, another 7MCE RN, stated that her favorite thing about the new unit was that the "larger rooms allow us to
have the space we need to give fully comprehensive care."

If you ask any nurse on the unit, one of the things that they will probably mention that makes 7MCE special is
the value we place on teamwork and collaboration. Our nurses know that they can count on one another. Our commit-
ment to each other creates a supportive environment which fosters high quality patient care. I am truly grateful to be a
part of 7MCE.

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