Today the stepdown unit is officially open! Our first patient has already made his way across the bridge and though this is certainly an excellent nurse:patient ratio, the nurses are eager for more. We have 8 stepdown nurses this year, a mix of return volunteers and new faces. Orientation to the unit provided the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and to learn a little bit about the documentation system that we use here, undoubtedly a change for everyone!
The fifth case is wrapping up as I type and this afternoon we have a triple valve case scheduled. A special aspect of this trip is that we have FOUR excellent cardiac surgeons at our disposal and THREE resident surgeons to boot! One of the surgeons new to Team Heart this year, Dr. Chuck Edwards, is a close friend of Chip's from surgery residency. Their bond and comraderie is palpable to all present and they certainly keep us all in stitches with embarassing stories about each other. The real treat, however, is watching them operate together for the first time since they were still wet behind the ears, so to speak. Rumor has it they work together as seamlessly as if residency were just yesterday.
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