title: Transfer of a patient with a ventricular assist device to a non-critical care area.
abstract: Ventricular assist device (VAD) support has traditionally been associated with critically ill patients. Indeed, a VAD is inserted as the last hope for patients with cardiogenic shock who are unresponsive to conventional therapy. However, many patients bridged to potential cardiac transplantation are no longer critically ill after hemodynamic stabilization is achieved with VAD support. The focus of this article is to provide guidelines established for the transfer and provision of quality nursing care for patients with a VAD on a general cardiothoracic nursing floor.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery, Saint Louis University Hospital, MO 63110-0250.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Reedy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000592:standards; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000600:supply & distribution; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000592:standards*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000592:standards; D000078329:Workforce