As a pre-operative cardiac surgery nurse in the Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Health System in Stuart, Florida, Karen Eldridge, R.N., believes she has a “dream job.”“I absolutely love what I do,” Eldridge said. “My role is to be a support staff to our wonderful heart team from Ocala Heart Institute. But I also work one-on-one with our patients and their families, providing the pre-operative teaching necessary for a positive outcome. I support their care during hospitalization and provide continuing education and support through follow –up phone calls after discharge. I get to know each patient really well.”
While Eldridge spent much of her 29 years of nursing in many areas, she has found her greatest personal and professional rewards in cardiology. Trained at Ocala Heart Institute seven years ago, Eldridge prepares patients for a wide range of major surgeries from heart valve replacement and bypass surgery to lung and esophageal procedures.
Her position has also led her to become proficient with data entry; she gleans data from patient charts and reports on the quality of care for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ national data bank.
“I never dreamed I would be working so closely with data metrics,” Eldridge said. “I continue to learn every day and find it fascinating.”
As a member of the Florida Regional Data Managers group, Eldridge also gets to meet with peers from throughout the country to share information and further their education together.
Whether meeting with a pre-op patient, running numbers or working side-by-side with many of the nurses she helped train and mentor on the cardiac floor, Eldridge believes she is very fortunate.
“I get to connect with our patients in a meaningful way and also get to play a significant role in supporting the evaluation of our care and improving quality and outcomes,” she said. “I truly get to have my cake and eat it, too.”
