>> IF YOU COME TO
THE CARDIAC ICU,
IT IS ALWAYS MOVING.
IT'S ALWAYS--THERE'S
ALWAYS A HUGE ENERGY THERE,
AND THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT
WORK IN THERE ALL HAVE THIS
INCREDIBLE PRIDE OF TAKING
CARE OF THESE REALLY SICK
KIDS, PROVIDING EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY.
>> ONCE THE BABY GETS TO
THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT,
ALL OF THESE WEEKS AND
MONTHS OF PLANNING
AND ANTICIPATION, AND
NOW HERE THE BABY IS
IN FRONT OF US, AND WE
HAVE REAL INFORMATION
TO DEAL WITH.
WE HAVE A REAL PLAN.
IT'S NOT
THEORETICAL SURGERY.
THE BABY IS
GOING FOR SURGERY.
YOU HAVE A DATE;
YOU HAVE A TIME.
IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT LEVEL
OF STRESS FOR FAMILIES.
>> SO WHEN THE FAMILY WALKS
IN AND SEES THEIR CHILD,
IF THE BABY HAS BEEN
BORN UNCOMPLICATED AND JUST
STARTED ON ITS MEDICATION,
IT'S GOTTEN ITS LINES
AND COME OVER, IT LOOKS
ACTUALLY VERY COMFORTABLE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT
TRANSITION IS PRETTY EASY.
IF THE BABY HAS GOTTEN SICK,
THEN THE FAMILY HAS BEEN
TOLD BY PHONE, OR
THEY'VE BEEN THERE,
ABOUT THE BABY
NEEDING A BREATHING TUBE.
BUT THEY MAY NOT
HAVE SEEN THAT,
AND THAT'S A MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT TRANSITION.
AND WE'RE VERY
SENSITIVE TO THAT.
>> TO SEE HER THERE, ALL
THAT STUFF PLUGGED INTO HER,
IT WAS OVERWHELMING.
BUT, I MEAN, ONCE
THEY LET US HOLD HER,
IT CHANGED IT BACK TO
MORE OF A NORMAL SITUATION.
>> YOU KNOW, IT
IS OVERWHELMING.
SUCH A LITTLE--YOU KNOW, IT'S
A LITTLE BABY LAYING THERE.
>> SHE WAS COMFORTABLE AND
NOT IN PAIN OF ANY SORT,
SO IT WAS OKAY
IN THAT RESPECT.
>> THE NURSES ARE INCREDIBLY
GOOD ABOUT TRANSITIONING
THE FAMILY TO LIFE IN THE ICU.
>> WE GOT TO KNOW SO
MANY NURSES BECAUSE WE WERE
ALWAYS THERE, YOU KNOW.
WE REALLY DIDN'T LEAVE.
>> YEAH, A COUPLE
TIMES, THEY WERE LIKE,
"LOOK, YOU GUYS GO.
I'LL HOLD HIM.
I'LL SIT IN A CHAIR.
I'LL ROCK WITH HIM,
YOU KNOW,
GO DOWN AND GET
SOMETHING TO EAT.
GO GET A CUP OF COFFEE."
>> SHE WAS IN GOOD HANDS.
LIKE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE
YOU HAD TO BE AT THE BEDSIDE
EVERY MINUTE BECAUSE YOU
JUST KIND OF HAD A SENSE
OF THEY KNOW WHAT
THEY'RE DOING.
>> THE NURSES TRY TO
PROVIDE CONSISTENCY,
SO IF THEY'RE WORKING
SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW,
THEY ALWAYS TRY TO
HAVE THE SAME PATIENT.
THEY TRY TO HAVE THE SAME
PATIENT BEFORE SURGERY
AND AFTER SURGERY.
EACH CHILD HAS ONE ICU
ATTENDING THAT'S KIND
OF KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR
THAT PARTICULAR BABY,
SO THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW,
WHO SENT THE BABY HERE.
THEY KNOW THE PARENTS.
THEY DO THE MOST, YOU KNOW,
MOST OF THE CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE PARENTS.
THEY KNOW THE SOCIAL
SITUATION FOR THE FAMILY.
YOU CREATE A BOND
WITH THE FAMILY,
SO TO SPEAK.
THERE'S A LOT OF
CAMARADERIE BETWEEN PARENTS.
ONCE THEY'VE SORT OF ADJUSTED
TO BEING IN THE ICU,
YOU'LL OFTEN SEE THEM
GETTING COFFEE WITH ANOTHER
SET OF PARENTS, AND I THINK
THERE'S A CONNECTION THAT
THEY MAKE WITH THE OTHER
PARENTS AT THAT TIME
WHICH IS PRETTY STRONG.
>> CONCERNED FOR YOURSELF;
YOU'RE CONCERNED
FOR OTHER FAMILIES.
>> YOU START TO BOND
WITH PEOPLE PRETTY QUICKLY,
AND YOU SPEND A LOT
OF TIME TOGETHER,
YOU KNOW, IN THE
WAITING ROOMS,
SITTING AT THE
BEDSIDE OF THE DIFFERENT-- 
>> DAYS OF SURGERY.
>> RIGHT, DAYS OF SURGERY.
>> THE AMAZING THING WAS HOW
MANY KIDS WERE IN THE ICU
WHEN WE WERE HERE.
LIKE, ALMOST EVERY ROOM
WAS FULL, YOU KNOW.
IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE
YOU'RE NOT IN THIS ALONE.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE
BABIES HAVE TO STAY IN
THE ICU DEPENDS ON WHAT
THEIR HEART PROBLEM IS.
I USUALLY TELL PARENTS
THAT IF THE BABY IS NOT
A PREMATURE BABY THAT'S BEEN
DIAGNOSED WITHOUT GETTING
SICK, THAT THE EXPECTATION
IS THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY
BE IN THE HOSPITAL
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 DAYS
AND TWO WEEKS.
THAT'S OUR AVERAGE.
BUT I ALWAYS MENTION TO
THE FAMILY THAT IT COULD BE
LONGER BECAUSE YOU TEND TO
PUT THE TWO WEEKS IN YOUR
HEAD, AND THEN TWO
WEEKS AND ONE DAY IS,
LIKE, TERRIBLE.
BUT IT COULD EASILY BE
TWO WEEKS AND ONE DAY.
>> IT'S NOT LIKE EVERY
DAY YOUR BABY GETS BETTER.
SOME DAYS ARE
A LITTLE SETBACK,
AND THAT CAN BE REALLY HARD
BECAUSE YOU KIND OF HAVE
A GOAL WHEN YOU'RE
GOING TO GO HOME,
AND SOMETHING SETS YOU BACK.
THAT CAN EVEN BE MORE
DIFFICULT THAN THE BABY'S
SURGERY ITSELF.
>> AND THIS IS WHERE THE
SOCIAL WORKER WORKS VERY
CLOSELY WITH THE NURSING
STAFF IN THE CARDIAC ICU.
THIS IS THE TEAM CARING
FOR THE BABY BEFORE SURGERY,
PREOPERATIVELY IN THE ICU,
SO THESE ARE THE PEOPLE
THAT KNOW THE BABY
RIGHT FROM BIRTH,
HAVE BEEN WITH THE
FAMILY RIGHT FROM BIRTH.
FOR THEM TO BE INTERFACING
WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER WHO'S
BEEN WORKING
WITH THE FAMILY,
AGAIN, BRINGS THAT TEAM
TOGETHER AROUND THAT FAMILY.
SHE ALSO IS A KEY PERSON IN
JUST HELPING FAMILIES SORT
OUT LOGISTICS, THE
REAL CONCRETES OF,
"WHERE AM I STAYING
WHEN I GET HERE?"
>> I HAD A ROOM.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ASK TO
STAY AND JUST PUT IN--
YOU HAVE TO FILL IN A LITTLE
SLIP EVERY NIGHT TO SEE IF
THEY CAN ALLOW YOU TO
HAVE A SPACE THERE,
AND FORTUNATELY,
I WAS ABLE TO STAY.
>> THERE'S ACTUALLY
SHOWERS ON THE FLOOR,
SO EVEN JUST
TAKING A SHOWER,
YOU JUST FEEL
REFRESHED AND, YOU KNOW,
A LITTLE MORE ENERGIZED.
>> ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS
ABOUT WORKING IN THE ICU
IS THE PATIENTS AND
THEIR FAMILIES.
THE FAMILIES ARE--NO MATTER
WHAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING
WITH, IF IT'S THE BABY,
IF IT'S SOMETHING AT HOME,
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS
A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.
THEY REALLY ARE.
AND IT IS SUCH--IT'S SO
REWARDING TO SEE KIDS
GET BETTER AND GO HOME.
