Silent guardians: Central Monitoring Unit provides synchronized medical care 'behind the scenes'
Step into the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) at UI Hospitals & Clinics and you’ll find an atmosphere charged with an almost musical rhythm: monitors beep, alarms buzz, and phones ring, all in a synchronized chorus that works to provide behind-the-scenes patient care.
Self-described by members of the CMU team as “the eyes and ears” for nurses and doctors, the individuals who work in the unit collaborate closely through technology with other staff to make sure our patients receive the best possible care.
The coordinated communication team is often the first line of defense in emergency medical situations. Clinical technicians and others who work on the team are responsible for monitoring patients’ vital signs and providing lifesaving interventions when necessary.
Behind-the-scenes, practiced professionals
“Our technicians are highly trained and skilled professionals who are able to provide critical care services to patients,” says Juan Martinez, supervisor of the CMU. “The ability to read and interpret cardiac monitoring strips, identify arrhythmias and other abnormalities on the monitor, and provide basic patient care while communicating effectively with other members of the health care team are just a few of the things our team does every day.”
Those who work in the CMU must be able to accurately and quickly read and interpret cardiac monitors, which requires a good understanding of cardiac rhythms and waveforms. For example, if a patient has a heart attack or other cardiac event, it’s the CMU team that often takes the first appropriate actions needed, such as notifying a nurse of the change or calling a Code Blue.
“It’s important to be able to effectively communicate with the patient's primary nurse or physician or other health care providers to provide them with the information they need to make treatment,” notes Martinez. “This all requires good communication on both the tech’s side and the nurses or physicians.”
Building strong connections
Clinical technician Shannon Gardner also emphasizes the importance of connecting clearly and regularly with a patient’s care team.
“We make sure our communication continues with them for any changes and updates as that patient is progressing,” she says. Gardner notes that it’s also her team’s responsibility to silence any alarms to reduce distraction while the care team is in the patient’s room performing a code. “We know that if there's a code taking place and we can reduce the distractions on their end while they're actively working on a patient, that helps them.”
Gardner adds that within the last few years, as more people learn about and understand what the CMU’s role is, it’s resulted in smoother, more efficient processes, such as ensuring the correct medical equipment is getting to patients. “Our management team has been great about partnering with other units and their nurse managers and the relationship building has helped us quite a bit when it comes to better communicating with all the different staff in each. I've noticed a lot of positive change.”
Nurse manager Eric Kusiak notes that one of the CMU’s goals is to help reinforce a culture at UI Health Care where national standards such as the American Heart Association guidelines are used to drive clinical decision making to determine whether a patient is or isn't appropriate for telemetry monitoring, a method used to track a patient’s heart health when they’re in the hospital.
“Being on the forefront of making big changes in the CMU that have a direct impact on patients in a positive way while also having a positive impact on the CMU staff really brings me joy,” shares Kusiak. “I feel good when I'm able to do something that advocates for them. Because in the end, if they're doing better, our patients benefit from it.”
Martinez adds that although the CMU team never sees patients in person and typically just knows their name, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the team has helped save many lives, even if the patients and family members don’t know about the CMU’s role in their care.
“I've always told our clinical technicians that they make our job much easier. They come to work, they know their stuff, they communicate, and they try to help as much as they can.”
“Knowing I make difference in patient’s care and treatment and that they're receiving the proper care brings me a lot of joy and fulfillment,” adds Gardner. “I feel like I'm doing a role that's making a difference, not in just to the patients and their care, but also just the partnerships I make with the different staff on the units, with my coworkers, and with my management.”