Medical/Surgical Inpatient Cluster |
Neurology/Neurosurgery/ Orthopaedics
Downtown Campus
1st Floor, West Wing
|
A 26-bed unit specializing in Orthopaedic and neurologic care. Patients are admitted for elective or non-elective Orthopaedic and neuro-surgical care (e.g. Orthopaedic trauma , laminectomies, spinal fusions, craniotomies, some total joint pts, etc.) or for neurological events such as stroke, brain injury, seizures, multiple sclerosis, Guillain Barre, weakness, back pain, etc.
|
RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants
|
Days and Evenings - 1:4-5
Nights - 1:6
|
Orthopaedics/Surgery
South University Campus
4th Floor, C Wing
|
A 28-bed unit specializing in Orthopaedic and surgical care. Patients are admitted for elective Orthopaedic, and some non-elective and surgical care (i.e. total joint replacement, arthroscopy, laminectomies, eye surgeries and any same day surgeries that need short term in-patient care for issues like pain management and nausea).
|
RNs, LPNs and Nursing Assistants
|
Days and Evenings - 1:4-5
Nights - 1:6-7
|
Transitional Care Unit
South University Campus
4th Floor, A Wing
|
A 33-bed sub-acute/ skilled nursing facility. The unit provides short-term skilled care to patients that no longer require acute-care hospitalization, but are unable to return directly home. Some examples of skilled services provided include extended IV medications, wound care, TPN or tube feedings, physical/occupational or speech therapy.
|
RNs, LPNs and Certified Nursing Assistants
|
Days and Evenings - 1:5-6
Nights - 1:8
|
Rehabilitation
South University Campus
5th Floor, C Wing
|
A 27-bed CARF accredited program for both general acute rehabilitation and brain-injured patients. Admissions to this inpatient unit suffer from functional and cognitive disabilities occurring as a result of stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, neurological disease, fractures, total joint replacement, and de-conditioning from a variety of events and require minimally 3 hours of therapy per day in speech, occupational and/or physical therapy.
|
RNs, LPNs and Nursing Assistants
|
Days and Evenings - 1:4 -5
Nights - 1:7 -8
Primary nursing is practiced with certified rehabilitation nurses coordinating the care.
|
Medical/Surgical
Downtown Campus
3rd Floor, South Wing
|
A 40-bed unit serving medical, nephrology, urology, kidney/pancreas transplants and progressive care ventilator patients.
|
RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants
|
Days and Evenings - 1:4
Nights - 1:5-6
|
Medical/Specialty
Downtown Campus
6th Floor, South Wing
|
A 28-bed inpatient medical/respiratory unit. The patient population served includes a wide variety of diagnosis such as: Patients with pneumonia, COPD, respiratory distress, exacerbation of asthma, cellulitis, GI bleed, infections, rule out stroke (CVA), diabetes, detox, and many more. Team Nursing is the model of care provided for the patients.
|
RNs, LPNs, nursing assistants, and unit clerks. Nurse Interns during the summer months.
|
Days and Evenings - 1:3-4
Nights - 1:5-6
|
Cardiac Progressive Care
Heart Center — Downtown Campus
2nd Floor, 2South/2Southwest
|
A 40-bed inpatient unit serving cardiovascular medical and surgical patient populations; such as those with unstable angina, post MI, rule out MI, cardiac bypass and valve repair/replacement, thoracic procedures, cardiac catheterization, post intervention, electrophysiology procedures, device implants, arrhythmias, cardioversion, and heart failure. The long range monitoring service is also located on this floor.
|
RNs, LPNs, nursing assistants, unit clerks and nurse interns during the summer months.
|
Days and Evenings - 1:4-5
Nights - 1:6-7
|
Surgical Inpatient Unit
Downtown Campus
5th Floor
|
A 48-bed unit providing surgical care for general (including gastric, bariatric, esophageal, bowel, mastectomy), intermediate, colon (including ostomy, resections), vascular (femoral/popliteal, Carotid Endarts), Interventional radiology, ENT, plastic, and trauma patients.
|
RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants.
|
Days - 1:3-4
Evenings - 1:4-5
Nights - 1:5-6
|
Oncology
Roger Maris Cancer Center (Inpatient) — Downtown Campus
7th Floor
|
A 32-bed unit that specializes in the care of adult patients at various stages of cancer including those in the process of diagnosis, treatment, experiencing side effects of treatment, palliative care and terminal care. Medical patients also are cared for on this unit.
|
RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants. One RN works in the Chemotherapy Nurse Role.
|
Days -1:4
Evenings - 1:4-5
Nights - 1:6-7
|
Palliative Care Unit
South University Campus
5th Floor, B Wing
|
A 8-bed unit located at the South University Campus. Palliative care is aggressive comfort care without prolongation of life, emphasizing improved quality of life. This unit is dedicated to the care of adult patients at the end of life in a supportive, comfortable and dignified environment for patients and families.
|
RNs, LPNs, Nursing Assistants
|
1:4
|
Critical Care Cluster |
Cardiac Intensive Care
Heart Center - Downtown Campus
2nd Floor, East Wing
|
A 19-bed unit serving post-cardiac surgery patients, acute MIs, post-PTCA/stent patients and post-cardiac arrest patients. Care also is provided to those patients requiring intra-aortic balloon pump therapy and vasoactive drugs.
|
RNs, nursing assistants, unit clerks and nurse interns during the summer months.
|
All shifts - 1:1-3.
|
Critical Care Unit
Downtown Campus
3rd Floor, East Wing
|
A 27-bed unit, which provides the most advanced intervention and therapy for life-threatening illness or injury in adults. Patients cared for require critical nursing intervention, assessment skills, monitoring, and/or advanced technological support for an illness, disease or injury.
The patient population consists of trauma, kidney/pancreas transplant, pulmonary, neuro medical and surgical patients.
|
RNs, Unit Clerks and Nursing Assistants
|
All shifts - 1:1-2
|
Psychiatric Services |
Psychiatric Unit
South University Campus — 3rd Floor, A and B Wings
|
The Psychiatric Unit has an average daily census of 16 cases with space to increase to 30 patients and cares for adult inpatients with primary psychiatric diagnosis. Psychiatrists are the admitting physicians and are part of the interdisciplinary team, which includes nursing, social service, case coordinators, occupational therapists and therapeutic recreation specialists. A new unit opened in April 2003, an 8-bed eating disorder unit for ages 12 and older. RNs and LPNs are a key part to the treatment team.
|
RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants
|
Days and Evenings - 1:6
Nights - 1:7
|
Surgery |
Surgical Services
South University Campus
|
Serves patients that require elective Orthopaedic and outpatient surgery. The outpatients are generally able to go home four hours after their procedure is completed.
|
|
|
Operating Room
South University Campus
|
Ten operating rooms. Block scheduling for all specialties is utilized.
|
RNs, Surgical Technologists, Unit Clerk, and Nursing Assistants staff the operating rooms.
|
RNs: 1:1
Surgical Technicians: 1:1 - 2:1
|
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Same Day Surgery, South University Campus
|
An admitting area provides preoperative care for patients going to the operating room including IV starts and assistance to the anesthesiologist/CRNA. The PACU is a 10-station unit which admits patients of all age groups having surgical procedures. Post-procedural and postoperative care are provided for outpatients. A separate pediatric PACU is also utilized.
|
RNs with ACLS certification are employed in the Admitting and PACU areas. Unit Clerks are also on staff.
|
1:2-4
|
Operating Room
Downtown Campus
1st Floor, East Wing
|
State-of-the-art operating room facilities utilizing advanced endoscopic technology, robotics, transplant services to include kidney and pancreas transplants. 13 operating rooms, utilizing block scheduling for all specialties. Call teams include General, Cardiovascular and Ortho/Neuro. Rotating shifts that encompass call with 24/7 shift coverage.
|
RNs, surgical technicians, and call teams.
|
RNs: 1:1
Surgical Technicians: 1:1 - 2:1
|
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Downtown Campus
|
The Post Anesthesia Care Unit, PACU, is a 14 station unit adjacent to the Operating Room Suite.
The PACU RNs are ACLS and PALS prepared with ICU experience. They provide care to surgical patients of all ages and all surgical specialities. The staff also provide post-procedural care for Interventional Radiology patients and other patients that have had anesthesia or sedation for a procedure or diagnostic test.
|
RN, Nursing Assistant, and Unit Clerk
|
1:1-3
|
AM Admissions
Downtown Campus
|
This is a 9-bed unit that admits patients of all age groups having elective surgical procedures, interventional radiology procedures and electrophysiology lab procedures. Post-procedural and postoperative care is also provided for some outpatients.
|
RNs.
|
1:2-4
|
Resource Team
|
The Resource Team is comprised of 180 RNs, LPNs, CNAs and unit clerks who work throughout MeritCare's two hospital locations in Fargo. RNs and LPNs are hired to work a primary "cluster" of units (Intensive Care, Medical/Surgical) and are cross-trained to other specialty areas. Nursing assistants work throughout all of the inpatient areas of the hospital. Resource Team staff are assigned on a shift-by-shift basis to inpatient nursing areas based on unit need.
|
|
|
Kidney Services
Outpatient Dialysis (Fargo, ND, Detroit Lakes, Bemidji, and Morris and Red Lake, MN)
|
Dialysis – Fargo is a 22-station outpatient dialysis unit providing outpatient dialysis and peritoneal dialysis training and monitoring for patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5. This unit also provides dialysis coverage for SCCI Hospital, and the TCU and Rehab units
Dialysis – Detroit Lakes is a 12-station hemodialysis unit, providing outpatient hemodialysis and is open 6 days per week.
Dialysis – Bemidji is a 12-station outpatient dialysis unit, providing outpatient hemodialysis and is open 6 days per week.
Dialysis – Morris is a 5-station outpatient hemodialysis unit and is open 6 days per week and in November will be a six station unit.
Dialysis – Red Lake is a 5-station outpatient dialysis unit, providing outpatient hemodialysis and is open 6 days per week.
The Inpatient Dialysis team works within MeritCare Hospital in Fargo. This team is an all RN team who work very autonomously. They provide the following types of treatment to hospitalized adults and children:
- Hemodialysis
- Peritoneal Dialysis
- Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
- Apheresis treatments
- Charcoal Hemoperfusion
|
RNs, LPNs, NAs, Unit Clerks, Social Workers (Master's), Dietitians and BioMedical Technicians.
|
|
Day Unit
Heart Center - Ground Floor
|
The Day unit is a 32 bed unit that admits patients ages 17 and older having elective surgical procedures, interventional radiology procedures and cardiac procedures. Post-procedural and post-operative. Care is also provided for outpatients. In addition, elective cardioversions and tilt table procedures are performed on the Day Unit.
|
RNs, LPN, NA, Unit Clerks.
RNs admit and care for patients post procedure and assist with cardioversions and tilt table procedures. LPNs provide post procedural care.
|
|
Emergency Services |
Emergency Center
Downtown Campus
|
A Level II trauma center. The MeritCare Emergency Center provides 24/7 care to 46,000-patients/year. Our services also include a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program.
|
Staffing is based upon the Emergency Nurses Association Guidelines for Nurse Staffing in the Emergency Center. Our nursing staff is composed of approximately 84% RNs, 16% non-RN in direct patient care. 1-3 emergency physicians on duty at all times.
|
|
LifeFlight
|
Provides air transport to the critically ill or injured of all ages, and includes a specialized neonatal team. Transports occur from referral hospitals via helicopter, fixed-wing ambulance either back to MeritCare or to other medical centers. In addition, LifeFlight transports from accident scenes via helicopter to MeritCare. RNs must be certified in ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, EMT and have audited an ATLS course. Orientation includes education on specialized equipment utilized in rotor-wing and fixed-wing aircraft.
|
The transport team generally consists of one RN and one flight paramedic. Occasionally the mix is varied dependent on the nature of the flight, e.g. OB, neonatal, etc.
|
2:1
|
Obstetrics/Gynecology |
Family Birth Center
Downtown Campus
4th Floor, West Wing
|
A 26-bed unit with 3-bed triage area and additional overflow capabilities to accommodate a census of 34 patients. The unit had 21 LDRPs (labor delivery recovery and postpartum). The other rooms are private antepartum and postpartum rooms. An OR suite is located on the unit and staffed by the Birth Center associates for a cesarean sections and post delivery procedures. All rooms are equipped with an emergency call system to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Labor nurses are trained in circulating in the OR and PAR to maximize continuity of care. The Birth Center has a trained flight team that provides regional LifeFlight services. The patient population includes high and low risk antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum women and their well newborns.
|
RNs, LPNs, NA
RNs care for all labor patients, are the circulating and PAR nurse for FBC OR. LPNs are trained as scrub nurses in the OR and are included along with the CNAs to provide care to postpartum moms and babies. Assignments of postpartum patients include both the mom and the baby in the assignment.
|
1:3-4 for postpartum and newborns (3-4 couplets.) Labor patients are staffed according to perinatal guidelines and standards.
|
Children's Hospital |
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Children's Hospital - Downtown Campus
4th Floor
|
A 33-bed nursery with three levels of care – intensive, intermediate and recovery. The nurse ground/air transport team that also functions out of NICU brings in approximately 30 percent of the infants admitted to the NICU. The conditions of the infants can include prematurity, sepsis, respiratory distress, surgical emergencies, birth-related trauma and other medical conditions. Neonatal Nurse Practitioners work in collaboration with the Neonatologist to provide direct care for infants.
|
RNs provide care to the intensive care infants as well as the other levels of care. Additionally, some are trained to function in the flight nurse role and provide transport services to the region. LPNs also provide care to the intermediate and recovery care infants. Respiratory therapists also staff the NICU at all times, providing respiratory care and direct patient care, including going on select transports with the RN flight nurse.
|
1:1-3 (based on the three levels of care and acuity)
|
Pediatrics
Children's Hospital - Downtown Campus
4th Floor
|
A 22-bed unit which cares for children of all ages with acute and chronic diagnosis of all types. There is great diversity in patient types ranging from general surgery, cardiology, oncology, endocrine, GI, neurology, neurosurgery, medical, infectious disease etc. This unit also has a "sedation center" program for children having procedures requiring conscious sedation, a brain injury program, a Peds Oncology program, and other specialized program models. Family centered care is the philosophy of care.
|
RNs, LPNs, NA, Unit Clerks and child life specialists
|
Days and evenings - 1:3
Nights - 1:4
|
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Children's Hospital - Downtown Campus
4th Floor, East Wing
|
An 16-bed unit that admits children of all ages with diagnosis of trauma, cardiovascular surgery and cardiac disease, neurologic and neurosurgical problems, complex Orthopaedic procedures such as scoliosis corrective surgeries, general surgery, acute life threatening illnesses, multisystem failure, trauma related to child abuse, etc. Technology dependent children are also hospitalized in this unit when ill.
|
All RN staff and unit clerks
|
All shifts - 1:1-2
|
ASK-A-NURSE |
ASK-A-NURSE
|
ASK-A-NURSE nurses use the nursing process as a framework to provide care for individual client populations over the phone 24 hours/day, 365 days/year. Ask-A-Nurse uses a totally computerized database of clinical algorithm designed guidelines to assess caller needs, prioritize the urgency, develop a plan of care and evaluate outcomes. All RN staff provide telephone triage to callers in ND, MN and SD. Receptionists handle class registrations and assist with caller registration. |
RNs
|
Call volume averages 300 calls/ day. 6 calls/hour/RN
|
Coordinated Treatment Center |
Coordinated Treatment Center
Broadway Health Center
3rd Floor
|
The unit provides a wide range of outpatient services to infants through geriatrics in multidisciplinary clinics such as: child maltreatment diagnostic work, pediatric diabetes, adult and pediatric neurorehabilitation, spinal cord injury, myelosyplasia, downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, muscular dystropy, child developmental evaluation, and cyctic fibrosis.
This unit offers patients an interdisciplinary approach and easy access to medical treatment. It enables patients to see a wide variety of specialists conveniently — all in one location, all on one day. The programs currently operating in the Coordinated Treatment Center are designed to supplement the routine healthcare given by the patient's primary physician. A complete report with recommendations is sent to the referring physician and is available to any community agency currently providing service to the client and for which the family authorizes a release of information to. The team concept is utilized to maximize the potential for the individual served in these programs
|
RNs and Service Area Assistants.
|
|