St. John's Mercy Medical Center is a Level I trauma center and provides extensive cardiology services. As a teaching hospital, St. John's Mercy Medical Center is committed to the education and advancement of nurses,
offering a unique Critical Care Nurse Fellowship.

Critical Care Nurse Fellowship
The Critical Care Nurse Fellowship is an extended orientation program designed for new graduate registered nurses and experienced nurses seeking expertise in critical care.

• provide an in-depth didactic experience
• provide a supervised clinical practicum
• prepare the nurse in burn management, care of the coronary care/cardiovascular patient and patients within the Medical/Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Clinical orientation pathways allow participants to pursue individualized goals as well as unit goals. The pathways have been developed to target the needs of each participant by varying the following components: clinical preceptorship hours, required self-tutorials, learning requirements based on individual experiences, competency level, knowledge base and the unit where the participant is employed. Unique characteristics of the pathways include:

• assignment of a primary preceptor
• defined “target” patients
• progression of patient assignments in acuity
• defined outcome goal statements
• encouragement of independence

Commitment
The fellowship is committed to developing critical care concepts and nursing skills specific to the ICU. This development is a shared commitment of the participant, coordinator, managers and preceptors. As a fellowship participant you will be expected to learn the full scope of critical care concepts and their application to clinical practice. You also will work to acquire and develop the following:

• advanced assessment, technical, and critical care skills
• teamwork, utilizing a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to care
• time management and the ability to prioritize care
• communication and effective delegation
• professionalism

Fellowship Content
Three fellowships are offered yearly–winter, summer and fall. Each spans a 12- to 16-week orientation period, including both didactic and clinical preceptorship.

The didactic phase includes lectures, presentations and hands-on experience with specialized ICU equipment. Instruction encompasses the following systems: cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, renal, hepatic, endocrine and gastrointestinal. Other presentations include burn/wound management, multi-system trauma, hemodynamics and ventilator therapy. Assessment, pathophysiology, nursing interventions, pharmacologic agents and therapeutic modalities are also incorporated. Case studies and self-tutorials are integrated to encourage critical thinking and enhance learning. The didactic component includes two exams: EKG and critical care. Successful completion of these exams is required.

The clinical preceptorship accompanies the instructional portion. All participants are assigned a clinical preceptor with direct clinical experience in the Burn Unit, Medical/Surgical/Trauma ICU, Coronary Care/Cardiovascular Recovery (CCU/CVR), and Telemetry Units. Upon completion of the fellowship, career opportunities include positions in the Burn Unit, CCU/CVR, and Medical/Surgical/Trauma ICU.

Burn Unit
This nine-bed unit encompasses both adult and pediatric patients. Care is coordinated by certified burn surgeons and ABLS-certified nursing staff. The burn nurse coordinates the complex care of the burn patient with needs encompassing a multitude of specialties including pulmonary, cardiac, nephrology, psychiatry and geriatrics. A multi-disciplinary approach is utilized to care for the patient from admission to discharge, including opportunities for patient and family teaching/discharge planning.

Coronary Care/Cardiovascular Recovery
This 16-bed unit targets cardiology services. Nurses receive specialty training to care for patients with balloon pumps. A CVR Fellowship is offered for nurses interested in caring for the post-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) patient.

Medical/Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit
This 40-bed ICU operates as a medical, academic, professional and research environment. Nurses provide comprehensive critical care to adult patients requiring continuous surveillance. The unit promotes advanced critical thinking and technical skills in caring for patients during life-threatening events. A holistic, team-oriented and collaborative approach is utilized to provide quality patient care.

Contact Information
Interested candidates should contact Colleen Rakers, the Critical Care Fellowship Coordinator, at 314-251-6554. Or, click here to contact the coordinator by e-mail.