Employment Information
Mercy's Critical Care Unit is a 16-bed combination medical, cardiac, and surgical intensive care unit.
The primary patient populations seen in CCU include:
- Cardiac diagnoses – acute MI, congestive heart failure, and cardiogenic shock
- Pulmonary diagnoses – ARDS, respiratory failure, aspiration pneumonia, COPD, pulmonary embolus, status asthmaticus
- Renal diagnoses – renal failure both acute and chronic (hemodialysis and CAPD available with support from Dialysis staff)
- Surgical diagnoses – peripheral vascular procedures, thoracic procedures, or complex general surgery procedures
- Neuro diagnoses – severe head injury, spinal cord injury, CVA post thrombolytic therapy, craniotomy, and subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Other – multiple trauma, sepsis, shock, multi-system failure, DKA, overdose, GI bleed
Our shifts and patient nurse ratios are:
- 12-hour shifts are available with charge nurse coverage each shift
- The patient/nurse ratio is typically 2:1 and dependent on patient acuity and professional skill mix
Mercy CCU staff will have the opportunity to increase individual skills in many ways, including:
- IABP (intra-aortic balloon pump)
- IV drip medications (vasopressors, inotropic agents, thrombolytics, platelet inhibitors, and antiarrhythmics)
- ICP (intracranial pressure monitoring)
- Transvenous pacing
- Ventilators
- I-Stat (point of care testing)
- Arterial lines
- Swan Ganz Catheters
- NPPV (non-invasive positive pressure ventilation)
Specialized training, orientation, and competency verification:
- Extensive and personalized orientation program with CCU preceptors
- Basic EKG Class
- Critical Care Classes (four hours per week for 11 weeks)
- ACLS certification
- IABP class training
- Ongoing unit based educational opportunities, competency verification, and inservices
- Periodic performance appraisal and peer evaluations
- Ongoing quality improvement monitoring
Mercy Job Openings
To view a current list of job openings at Mercy Medical Center, visit Mercy's Employment Center
MET Team (Medical Emergency Team)
The MET Team is one of the innovative ideas the Critical Care Unit put into action to support the floor nurse in assessing a potential or emergent change in patient status.
The goal is to provide early intervention if and when it is needed to improve patient care delivery and outcomes. There has also been an improvement in interdepartmental communication as a result of the MET Team development.
More Information
Visit the official website of the Society of Critical Care Medicine for more information about medical conditions, treatments, tests, equipment, drugs, medical terms and other aspects of the CCU.
