Advanced nursing practice in pediatric cardiac critical care

Nurses play a critical role in the life of the child with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families. This chapter describes the advanced skills and knowledge needed by nurses who care for the child with CHD, discusses the various complex and challenging roles and responsibilities of the pediatric cardiac nurse, explores the psychosocial impact of CHD on children and families, and discusses the nurse’s role in assisting family adaptation at each phase of the illness and treatment. The postoperative management of CHD patients should be directed at optimizing oxygen delivery to maintain end-organ function and decrease the risk of complications. An understanding of the early signs of impaired cardiac output (CO) and implementation of appropriate treatments by the provider improves patient outcomes. It has been established that provider recognition and treatment of the early signs and symptoms of an acute deterioration leads to improved patient outcomes and prevents mortality. The management of these complex patients should be directed at educating nurses who care for these patients.