UF Health in Gainesville is seeking a full-time ECMO Specialist to join our Healthcare & Medical Services team. In this role, you will manage and monitor ECMO circuits, collaborate closely with physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists, and ensure safe, evidence-based patient care. UF Health is a leading academic health center dedicated to high-quality care, innovative research, and education. We offer a collaborative, inclusive culture that values diversity, supports professional growth, and provides opportunities to participate in groundbreaking medical advancements and compassionate, patient-centered care.
Responsibilities
- Operate, monitor, and manage ECMO circuits for critically ill patients under the direction of intensivists and surgeons.
- Continuously evaluate patient status, including hemodynamics, gas exchange, and laboratory results, to optimize ECMO and ventilator settings.
- Monitor and manage anticoagulation during ECMO support, following established protocols and collaborating with the medical team on dose adjustments.
- Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve ECMO circuit alarms, equipment issues, and clinical complications promptly and safely.
- Participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds, contributing clinical observations and recommendations to the overall care plan.
- Provide emergency support during patient deterioration or code situations, including rapid assessment of ECMO function and coordination with the care team.
- Maintain accurate, detailed documentation of ECMO parameters, assessments, interventions, and patient responses in the electronic medical record.
- Adhere to infection prevention, safety, and quality standards related to ECMO equipment, vascular access, and bedside practice.
- Educate and support patients' families regarding ECMO therapy, expected course, and care processes, in collaboration with the broader care team.
- Participate in ongoing education, simulation, and quality-improvement activities related to ECMO and critical care, and assist with training new ECMO staff when needed.
Required Skills
- ECMO circuit management
- Mechanical ventilation management
- Hemodynamic monitoring
- Arterial and venous line management
- Blood gas interpretation
- Anticoagulation management (heparin protocols)
- Cardiac and pulmonary physiology
- Critical care monitoring equipment operation
- Emergency response and code participation
- Infection control and sterile technique
- Electronic medical record (EMR) documentation
- Interdisciplinary team collaboration
- Patient and family communication
- Troubleshooting complex life-support equipment
- Quality and safety protocol adherence