This is a project that I have decided to undertake due to the passion that I have for Critical Care Nursing.  I have been a Critical Nurse for 26 years at a major teaching hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.  I love the challenges that I face everyday that I work.  For me, Critical Care Nursing is something that never grows old; instead it continues to grow and become more complex and technical.  I have had my Certification for over 20 years and hope that as the pages of this web site evolve that I can impart some of the knowledge and experience that I have gained during that time. 

My experience in Critical Care Nursing is in the areas of  the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit ( Open Heart ), PACU, and Coronary Care Unit where I presently work.  The first two areas are where I spent the first 22 years of my nursing career and then I was in the Coronary Care Unit for 7 years.  Our unit recently merged with the CICU and it is now called the CVICU.   The patient population in our unit includes patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome, stent placement, cardiogenic shock, heart failure, and cardiac surgery patients that have undergone Coronary Artery Bypass surgery and Valve repair/replacement.  This is the beginning of an exciting period of growth for our unit.

I am changing the focus of this web site and will be focusing on cardiovascular topics.  Cardiovascular nursing is an exciting place to work and my hope is that this web site will help give you the tools to grow and excel in the cardiovascular arena.  Please come visit often as there will be ongoing updates and growth to this website.

My  hope is that you will find Introduction to Critical Care Nursing a web site that will give you the knowledge that will  increase your desire to look further into a specialized area within Critical Care Nursing and then find the passion that has followed me in my quest for giving the best possible patient care to my patients that I can.