ECMO/MCS Coordinator

ECMO/MCS Coordinator

Requirements

• Registered Nurse, perfusionist, or respiratory therapist with strong interest in evidence-based practice
• BLS, ACLS certification

Responsibilities

• Provides input into inventory and budgeting for ECMO and temporary MCS equipment and supplies, ECMO cart and equipment availability
• Performs serial audits of equipment par levels and identifies additional equipment requirements and facilitates ordering
• Facilitating the interprofessional ECMO workgroup and achievement of priority interventions
• Attendance at regular ECMO/MCS committee meetings at each site, and ad hoc meetings as needed
• Performs and presents results of serial audits of consults and cases, and a yearly summary activities
• Collaborating to analyze and accomplish goals for HF, LVAD, and cardiac surgery databases, and ACC and DNV accreditation standards as they relate to ECMO/MCS programs
• Serves as a liaison between the team, IT, and data platforms
• Responsible for planning, development, and implementation of program goals and operational changes to ensure goals are met
• Assists in system-level ECMO transport protocol development
• Participates in shock team performance improvement as appropriate
• Facilitates and coordinates the care delivered to patients in shock, respiratory failure or cardiorespiratory failure needing short or long-term mechanical circulatory support through collaboration with the interprofessional team and patient/family
• Coordination involves bedside presence, assessment, planning, monitoring, intervention, and evaluation of patient care and outcomes
• Operates extracorporeal circuit, pump, related equipment, participates in rounds, reviews lab and blood gas results and recommends / implements changes within defined protocol as ordered by ECMO physician
• Assists in circuit adjustments including pump flow, gas exchange, hemofiltration, anticoagulation as ordered by the ECMO physician
• Assists in troubleshooting ECMO circuit
• Assists bedside clinicians with impella CP, RP, 5.5, other temporary MCS devices to achieve goals of care
• Provides oversight and performs serial real-time review of care delivered to patients with cardiac, respiratory, or cardiorespiratory failure undergoing ECMO support with or without additional mechanical circulatory support
• Assists bedside ECMO and ICU physicians as needed and provides recommendations for management of ECMO circuit, including, but not limited to, pump flow, gas exchange, hemofiltration, anti-coagulation, circuit changes
• Provides in-person guidance on care plans upon initiation of all ECMO cases as required by the ECMO physicians
• Assists in troubleshooting of ECMO circuit, in-person or remotely, as clinically indicated
• Ensures ongoing improvements in quality, accreditation, and operational outcomes are delivered within appropriate length of stay targets
• Develops and refines ECMO/MCS structures and processes to continuously improve the outcomes of care of patients with cardiac, respiratory, and cardiorespiratory failure who undergo ECMO and/or other MCS
• Promotes excellence in ECMO care through maintenance and management of the ELSO registry, ELSO pathway to excellence and award status, protocols/guidelines in collaboration with the director of heart and vascular programs and outcomes, performance improvement department, MCS and ECMO Medical Directors at each site, and other physicians and team members
• Ensures accurate data entry, analysis, and presentation of data and processes to various teams, and facilitates the use of outcomes data to make improvements in patient care
• Coordinates and conducts regular, formal education sessions for the bedside ECMO specialists and verifies competency; identifies areas for improvement and designs and implements education plans accordingly
• Provides informal education at the bedside for team members during the care of patients undergoing ECMO
• Conducts education sessions with up-to-date information for all ECMO clinicians; assesses ECMO clinicians periodically and identifies opportunities for growth and helps to establish education programs to meet those opportunities
• Conducts education sessions for other physicians, trainees, nurses, and allied health professionals who provide care to patients undergoing ECMO and/or MCS
• Assists with hemodynamic and temporary MCS educational needs assessment and helps to facilitate education to meet needs
• Coordinates community and family outreach and education
• Achieve ELSO memberships for each site within 1 year
• Report required ECMO case data to ELSO registry at least quarterly
• Conduct audits of consults and cases and present results monthly
• Review ECMO/MCS protocols at each site once per year; recommend changes as needed
• Develop a plan and timeline for application for each site to become an ELSO Center of Excellence

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor of science in nursing, Master of Nursing, Master of Science in cardiovascular perfusion, or bachelor’s degree in cardiopulmonary science or respiratory therapy
• 2-5 years of cardiovascular experience, including telemetry/CCU/ICU for nurses and respiratory therapists
• Board certification, such as Cardiac/Vascular Nursing, CHFN, PCCN, CCRN, VAD-C, CES-A, E-EAC, or willingness to obtain appropriate specialty board certification within 12 months of hire or as soon as requirements met