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Detailed Needs and Requirements: Cardio-Pulmonary Unit
4. Nursing Staff
Some procedures, conducted on the cardio-pulmonary unit, require
nursing assistance, e.g., cardiac catheterization and pulmonary
angiography. In addition, many of the patients examined on the unit
require nursing care and observation. A full time nursing personnel
should be assigned to the unit.
5. Technical Staff
The technical staff administers routine studies in the unit. They set up
testing equipment, prepare patients, instruct, observe, and assist
patients during testing, record results, observe and adjust equipment
during testing, disconnect equipment after testing, clean and maintain
equipment as needed, and do routine laboratory tests, e.g., blood gas
analysis. The technical staff also assists the physician during complex
procedures. Academic training for cardio-pulmonary technicians is not
currently provided, therefore there are usually trained in V.A. cardio-
pulmonary units. Training will be through direct involvement with
procedures and by seminars, discussions, and demonstrations. These
sessions will generally involve a small number of technicians. They
may utilize training aids such as x-rays, movies, slides, color T.V.,
computers, etc.
The technical staff will be supervised by a head technician. This
technician will coordinate technical staff activities, work schedules, and
instruct the technical staff as necessary.
6. Medical Students
Medical students may come to the unit for individual or group
instruction or demonstration and, may assist with some of the unit's
procedures. Their involvement with the unit will, however, be on a short
term basis and they may go elsewhere in the hospital for individual
study.
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