Nicola Spadafora

Provides exceptional, life-saving care on a busy 38 bed cardiac step-down unit. Assumed leadership roles as charge nurse as well as leading the floor as a skin champion reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers on our unit by 97%. Oriented and trained nursing students and new graduate nurses alike, acclimating and teaching them about our unit.

• Provide professional nursing treatment and care for adult patients that may include myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, structural heart disease, and pre/post-op vascular procedures

• Manage the care of adult patients experiencing cardiac problems requiring complex assessment, therapies, and interventions

• Recognizing the signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary and respiratory emergencies and intervening to stabilize patients

• Manage continuous IV medications for patients requiring inotropic, diuretic, and inodilators.

• Monitored hemodynamic stability post cardiac procedures such as cardiac catheterization, ablation, pacemaker placement, cardioversion, CABG, and TAVRs.

• Educated patients on medications, side effects, and adverse reactions.

• Provide post-discharge education regarding their diagnosis and treatment plan.

• Obtain HPI and perform physical assessment on patients with heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, amyloidosis, heart transplants, and LVADs.
• Review/order labs.
• Review/order imaging such as TTE, cardiac MRI, chest x-ray, cardiac CT, PYP scan, ultrasounds, and nuclear stress tests.
• Review/order medications.
• Review ECGs.
• Formulate plan of care for patients.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team in plan of care for patients.
• Educate patients on their diagnosis and what their plan of care entails.
• Assess patients prior to LVAD implantation and post LVAD implantation. Extensively educate them on lifestyle changes and how to care for themselves.

• Obtain HPI and perform physical assessment on patients in outpatient cardiology office.
• Review/order labs and medications.
• Review/order imaging such as nuclear stress tests, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT scans, TTEs and chest x-rays.
• Review ECGs.
• Collaborate with different parts of the interdisciplinary team in creating plans of care for patients.
• Educate patients regarding their diagnosis and lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

Transthoracic Echocardiogram Lab/Cardiac Catheterization Lab/Valve Center

• Obtain HPI of patients and perform their physical assessments pre/post-procedure.
• Educate patients regarding their procedures, precautions to take and medications to hold prior to their procedures.
• Order and monitor labs/imaging such as MRIs, CT scans, TTEs, ultrasound, and x-rays.
• Review ECGs.
• Monitor patients post-procedure for complications.
• Perform medication reconciliation.

• Assess, treat, and educate children and parents on their illness (Grades Pre-K – 12).
• Administer medications as prescribed and administer emergency medications as needed.
• Refer children and parents to outside care if needed such as for emergency care or to emergency department for immediate treatment.
• Document on children visits and fill out required documentation as needed.

• Care for COVID-19 patients and maintain required precautions to minimize transmission risk.

• Monitor lab values and notify physicians and other healthcare providers for any recommended change in treatment or notify for any significant changes to be made in care plan.

• Monitor telemetry and identify life-threatening arrythmias.

• Provide tracheostomy, colostomy, and wound care.

• Utilized EPIC electronic medical health record system.

• Educate patients on indications for inpatient admission plan of care throughout admission and on discharge.

• Support vaccination efforts by preparing, administering, and monitoring patient response to COVID-19 vaccine.

• Responsible for running the COVID-19 vaccines pod daily.

• Received and shipped out the COVID-19 vaccines daily and maintained records of the vaccine.