Hello and welcome to my unit!
I am Jessica Williams, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, Nurse Manager of the Surgical Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, also known as CVICU. We are currently located on 5 North, the 5th floor at Vanderbilt University Hospital but in Spring 2026, we'll be moving to 6CCT (VUH's Critical Care Tower).
The environment on our unit is fast-paced, multidisciplinary, educational, high-acuity, supportive, team-oriented, and compassionate! We care for Adult patients aged 18 to 118 who are being treated for post-op recovery and intensive care for coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic surgeries, valve surgeries, pulmonary endarterectomies, heart/lung/dual organ transplant, and care of temporary mechanical circulator support, including the majority of our center's ECMO population.
In addition to the high-acuity, which often attracts nurses looking to advance their careers, we are invested in the quality of care we provide in all aspects of care, including patient mobility and the prevention of hospital-acquired infections and conditions.
Our patients are unique because many of them have had cardiothoracic surgeries or interventions that cannot be provided in many other hospitals in our region.
One of the perks of working on my unit is that we are the busiest heart transplant center in the world. All heart, lung, and cardiothoracic dual organ transplant patients spend time in the CVICU following their transplant. We also care for the majority of our center's ECMO population.
Our nurses are successful because they have ample opportunities for professional advancement through clinical skills acquisition as well as unit-specific engagement opportunities.
We orient new nurses to our unit by providing up to 16 weeks of orientation, depending on the individual nurse's level of experience.
We encourage professional growth.
We encourage professional growth. If your career goal is to become a clinical expert, an advanced practice nurse, nurse education specialist, perfusionist, or nurse leader, our unit is a great place to launch your career.
If you have any questions about our unit, please visit Work for Vanderbilt Health: Nursing Careers to explore open nursing positions.
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