Device Day was created to provide registered nurses an opportunity to manipulate vital equipment used in cardiac intensive care units (ICUs). Nurses complete hands-on skills with fully functioning devices to increase exposure in a safe environment with no patient risk. To date, we have incorporated 7 high-risk devices frequently used in cardiac ICUs into Device Day (Table 1).

Cardiac ICU nurses at our quaternary health system routinely care for acutely ill patients with cardiac assist devices and other critical pieces of equipment, including mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Many large facilities have dedicated MCS specialists who provide direct oversight of cardiac assist devices alongside the primary nurse, resulting in a 2:1 nurse-patient ratio. Alternatively, nurses at this hospital are trained to manage devices as the expert and primary nurse in collaboration with the medical team.

After initial training, nurses reported varying levels of exposure with MCS and other high-risk...

You do not currently have access to this content.