Surgical Acute Care

The Department of Surgical Acute Care is one that brings together several disciplines and a diverse patient population. A broad array of both inpatient and outpatient areas foster a myriad of work experiences for both the novice and seasoned RN or LPN. In this department, the collaborative efforts of the physician and nursing teams have developed services to accommodate a sicker patient population that often involves multiple co-morbidities. For example, the hospital has specialized units designed for telemetry patients, a Neurology/Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit, a Neurology Stepdown Unit, and a nursing unit solely focused on the colorectal patient population, just to name a few.

The diversity of the patients, the high acuity of care and the fast-paced nature of the work offer nurses daily opportunities for professional growth, satisfaction, and challenge.

Radiology - Part of the Team

The Radiology Department works with the Surgical and Post-Surgical Care Units as a team, performing procedures before and after surgery, as well as open, invasive and guided procedures such as angiography.

Collaborative care is the guiding principal that all staff seek to refine and hardwire into its health-care systems.

Surgical Acute Care

Because the Cleveland Clinic performs and pioneers innovative surgical procedures, many of which are not available at most hospitals, post-acute care nurses are trained and experienced to monitor and support this patient population.

The department has three intensive care units – Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience. The Neuroscience Unit includes a step-down unit and a dedicated Epilepsy Unit to meet the needs of all neurology patients.

The post acute care teams involve staff from other departments in the hospital, as patients come with needs that range from psychiatric to obstetric. Staff members from those departments in the hospital consult with the post-acute care nurses to plan for individual patients.

A Center Designed for Patients on Research Protocols – The General Clinical Research Center

Because of the many patients who are involved in research protocols at this teaching hospital, Cleveland Clinic is one of a few medical centers in the country to develop a unit to provide post-acute care for these patients. This NIH-funded center within the department has its own lab and procedure areas, all designed to protect the integrity and validity of the research, and deliver the best care to its’ patient participants.

The General Clinical Research Center nurses do not just support research – in this department with their physician partners, they have opportunities to lead it. One such research study is the Diabetic Foot Study, which focuses on the prevention of the recurrence of diabetic ulcerations.

Continuing Professional Development and Patient Education

Throughout each year, Cleveland Clinic nurses are both involved in preparing for and facilitating ongoing education opportunities held here on the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic. Lectures are given by renowned speakers. Full-day and two-day seminars are available on a variety of specialized topics, such as Urology and Orthopaedics. These educational sessions update nurses’ knowledge of surgical techniques and the state-of-the-art advancements available in patient procedures and treatments.

Cleveland Clinic nurses provide extensive patient education. The surgical Pre-Anesthesia Care Unit is involved with pre-procedure orientation for patients. In the total-joint replacement program, for example, patients come in before the day of surgery for a program teaching them how the surgery will go, and how the recovery period will feel to them, how their post-operative pain will be managed, and how they will be supported through therapeutic modalities to return to as functional a life as possible.

Number of Units:

25

Clinical Nursing Director:

Maureen Palmer

Specialized Units (with number of beds):

Ambulatory Surgery Units: