Services Overview

This unit located on Gudelsky 5 East is designed to provide care to inpatient vascular surgery and cardiac surgery patients. The 12-bed unit, which maintains one negative pressure room that can be used for patients requiring airborne precautions, is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It carries an ADC of 11 yielding approximately 4,004 patient days. The average length of stay is 3-5 days. This is a Progressive Care unit that provides continuous cardiac monitoring from admission to discharge.

Demographics of Patient Served

• Patients are young to elderly adults, with approximately equal sex distribution.
• Patients cared for have vascular and cardiac disease.
• Major diagnoses represented by the patient population admitted to the unit include:
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Arterial disease (aneurysm, carotid disease)
  • Congenital vascular disease
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Coronary arterial disease
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Respiratory (COPD)
  • Diabetes

Scope and Complexity of Patient Care Needs

• Continuous EKG and pulse oximetry monitoring
• Invasive lines for hemodynamic monitoring, e.g., arterial lines, central venous pressure line
• Advanced non-invasive respiratory support - CPAP and high flow nasal cannula.
• Insulin drip titrated to reach blood glucose goal
• Pulse/flap checks
• Neurologic checks
• Patient and family education regarding diagnosis, interdisciplinary treatment plan, prognosis and adjustment to illness

Strategies to Assess and Meet Patient Care Needs

Care requirements of the patients on Gudelsky 5 East are determined by clinical assessments and interviews of patients conducted by all disciplines during daily patient rounds and on an individual consult basis.

Each patient admitted to the VSPCU must be covered by a surgical service. Unit-based Advanced Practice Providers are available to assist and execute the plan of care as designated by the primary surgical service.

Patient Care Providers:

• Attending physicians, Fellows, Residents, Interns, Medical students,
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Registered nurses
• Patient Care Technicians
• Mobility Technician
• Rehabilitation Services: Physical/Occupational Therapist, Respiratory Therapist, Nutrition and Speech Therapist
• Social Worker
• Nursing students
• Unit secretaries

Staffing plans are based on assessment of patient acuity, census, and skill mix of the nursing staff. The unit is staffed with a patient ratio of 1 RN to 3-4 patients and 1 PCT to 6 to 10 patients. The charge nurse assesses acuity and unit activity throughout their shift. Changes in staffing requirements are accommodated by the use of personnel from other units, per diem staff, and overtime. The unit-based Nurse Practitioners/Physician Assistants provide care 7 days/week during daytime hours. At night, surgical resident staff provides medical coverage.