>> IF YOU COME TO THE CARDIAC ICU,
IT IS ALWAYS MOVING.
IT'S ALWAYS--THERE'S ALWAYS A HUGE ENERGY THERE,
AND THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THERE ALL HAVE THIS
INCREDIBLE PRIDE OF TAKING CARE OF THESE REALLY SICK
KIDS, PROVIDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY.
>> ONCE THE BABY GETS TO THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT,
ALL OF THESE WEEKS AND MONTHS OF PLANNING
AND ANTICIPATION, AND NOW HERE THE BABY IS
IN FRONT OF US, AND WE HAVE REAL INFORMATION
TO DEAL WITH.
WE HAVE A REAL PLAN.
IT'S NOT THEORETICAL SURGERY.
THE BABY IS GOING FOR SURGERY.
YOU HAVE A DATE; YOU HAVE A TIME.
IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT LEVEL OF STRESS FOR FAMILIES.
>> SO WHEN THE FAMILY WALKS IN AND SEES THEIR CHILD,
IF THE BABY HAS BEEN BORN UNCOMPLICATED AND JUST
STARTED ON ITS MEDICATION, IT'S GOTTEN ITS LINES
AND COME OVER, IT LOOKS ACTUALLY VERY COMFORTABLE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT TRANSITION IS PRETTY EASY.
IF THE BABY HAS GOTTEN SICK, THEN THE FAMILY HAS BEEN
TOLD BY PHONE, OR THEY'VE BEEN THERE,
ABOUT THE BABY NEEDING A BREATHING TUBE.
BUT THEY MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THAT,
AND THAT'S A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TRANSITION.
AND WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT.
>> TO SEE HER THERE, ALL THAT STUFF PLUGGED INTO HER,
IT WAS OVERWHELMING.
BUT, I MEAN, ONCE THEY LET US HOLD HER,
IT CHANGED IT BACK TO MORE OF A NORMAL SITUATION.
>> YOU KNOW, IT IS OVERWHELMING.
SUCH A LITTLE--YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE BABY LAYING THERE.
>> SHE WAS COMFORTABLE AND NOT IN PAIN OF ANY SORT,
SO IT WAS OKAY IN THAT RESPECT.
>> THE NURSES ARE INCREDIBLY GOOD ABOUT TRANSITIONING
THE FAMILY TO LIFE IN THE ICU.
>> WE GOT TO KNOW SO MANY NURSES BECAUSE WE WERE
ALWAYS THERE, YOU KNOW.
WE REALLY DIDN'T LEAVE.
>> YEAH, A COUPLE TIMES, THEY WERE LIKE,
"LOOK, YOU GUYS GO.
I'LL HOLD HIM.
I'LL SIT IN A CHAIR.
I'LL ROCK WITH HIM, YOU KNOW,
GO DOWN AND GET SOMETHING TO EAT.
GO GET A CUP OF COFFEE."
>> SHE WAS IN GOOD HANDS.
LIKE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAD TO BE AT THE BEDSIDE
EVERY MINUTE BECAUSE YOU JUST KIND OF HAD A SENSE
OF THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
>> THE NURSES TRY TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY,
SO IF THEY'RE WORKING SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW,
THEY ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE THE SAME PATIENT.
THEY TRY TO HAVE THE SAME PATIENT BEFORE SURGERY
AND AFTER SURGERY.
EACH CHILD HAS ONE ICU ATTENDING THAT'S KIND
OF KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR BABY,
SO THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHO SENT THE BABY HERE.
THEY KNOW THE PARENTS.
THEY DO THE MOST, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE PARENTS.
THEY KNOW THE SOCIAL SITUATION FOR THE FAMILY.
YOU CREATE A BOND WITH THE FAMILY,
SO TO SPEAK.
THERE'S A LOT OF CAMARADERIE BETWEEN PARENTS.
ONCE THEY'VE SORT OF ADJUSTED TO BEING IN THE ICU,
YOU'LL OFTEN SEE THEM GETTING COFFEE WITH ANOTHER
SET OF PARENTS, AND I THINK THERE'S A CONNECTION THAT
THEY MAKE WITH THE OTHER PARENTS AT THAT TIME
WHICH IS PRETTY STRONG.
>> CONCERNED FOR YOURSELF; YOU'RE CONCERNED
FOR OTHER FAMILIES.
>> YOU START TO BOND WITH PEOPLE PRETTY QUICKLY,
AND YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER,
YOU KNOW, IN THE WAITING ROOMS,
SITTING AT THE BEDSIDE OF THE DIFFERENT--
>> DAYS OF SURGERY.
>> RIGHT, DAYS OF SURGERY.
>> THE AMAZING THING WAS HOW MANY KIDS WERE IN THE ICU
WHEN WE WERE HERE.
LIKE, ALMOST EVERY ROOM WAS FULL, YOU KNOW.
IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE NOT IN THIS ALONE.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE BABIES HAVE TO STAY IN
THE ICU DEPENDS ON WHAT THEIR HEART PROBLEM IS.
I USUALLY TELL PARENTS THAT IF THE BABY IS NOT
A PREMATURE BABY THAT'S BEEN DIAGNOSED WITHOUT GETTING
SICK, THAT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY
BE IN THE HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 DAYS
AND TWO WEEKS.
THAT'S OUR AVERAGE.
BUT I ALWAYS MENTION TO THE FAMILY THAT IT COULD BE
LONGER BECAUSE YOU TEND TO PUT THE TWO WEEKS IN YOUR
HEAD, AND THEN TWO WEEKS AND ONE DAY IS,
LIKE, TERRIBLE.
BUT IT COULD EASILY BE TWO WEEKS AND ONE DAY.
>> IT'S NOT LIKE EVERY DAY YOUR BABY GETS BETTER.
SOME DAYS ARE A LITTLE SETBACK,
AND THAT CAN BE REALLY HARD BECAUSE YOU KIND OF HAVE
A GOAL WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO GO HOME,
AND SOMETHING SETS YOU BACK.
THAT CAN EVEN BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE BABY'S
SURGERY ITSELF.
>> AND THIS IS WHERE THE SOCIAL WORKER WORKS VERY
CLOSELY WITH THE NURSING STAFF IN THE CARDIAC ICU.
THIS IS THE TEAM CARING FOR THE BABY BEFORE SURGERY,
PREOPERATIVELY IN THE ICU, SO THESE ARE THE PEOPLE
THAT KNOW THE BABY RIGHT FROM BIRTH,
HAVE BEEN WITH THE FAMILY RIGHT FROM BIRTH.
FOR THEM TO BE INTERFACING WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER WHO'S
BEEN WORKING WITH THE FAMILY,
AGAIN, BRINGS THAT TEAM TOGETHER AROUND THAT FAMILY.
SHE ALSO IS A KEY PERSON IN JUST HELPING FAMILIES SORT
OUT LOGISTICS, THE REAL CONCRETES OF,
"WHERE AM I STAYING WHEN I GET HERE?"
>> I HAD A ROOM.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ASK TO STAY AND JUST PUT IN--
YOU HAVE TO FILL IN A LITTLE SLIP EVERY NIGHT TO SEE IF
THEY CAN ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A SPACE THERE,
AND FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO STAY.
>> THERE'S ACTUALLY SHOWERS ON THE FLOOR,
SO EVEN JUST TAKING A SHOWER,
YOU JUST FEEL REFRESHED AND, YOU KNOW,
A LITTLE MORE ENERGIZED.
>> ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT WORKING IN THE ICU
IS THE PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THE FAMILIES ARE--NO MATTER WHAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING
WITH, IF IT'S THE BABY, IF IT'S SOMETHING AT HOME,
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.
THEY REALLY ARE.
AND IT IS SUCH--IT'S SO REWARDING TO SEE KIDS
GET BETTER AND GO HOME.