Susan Bachmeier, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, really puts it about as aptly
as can be said: When adults get prescribed extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment at Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, it can often mean
their last chance at life itself. An advanced form of life
support used to restore lung function in those patients
experiencing cardiac and/or respiratory failure, ECMO treatment,
which is more commonly seen in underdeveloped neonates and
pediatrics, requires a high level of care that utilizes a
multidisciplinary approach and constant monitoring, and can
cause a myriad of complications if protocols are not followed
stringently at all times. "It's very advanced practice," said
Bachmeier, director of nursing at Wake Forest, a facility that
offers one of only a few adult ECMO programs along the East
Coast. "There is a very complex set of skills that needs to be
maintained to take care of these patients, and not every nurse
gets an opportunity to experience it." Conducte