A note from Nicole
Founder & Creator

Working as a nurse for eleven years is not a long time. By some standards it may be considered a “drop in-the-bucket” when compared to many of my friends and colleagues. However, from the time I graduated as a new nurse, my time has been spent in the CVICU, in the world of ECMO. 

Previously employed in administration, management, sales, and project development made nursing a second career for me. Work experience outside of nursing helped to set the stage for a solid foundation in understanding the basics of organizational growth and development. These skills came in handy in the world of healthcare. 

My nursing career launched at the amazing teaching and research facility of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Beginning as a patient care technician on a kidney and liver transplant floor, while attending nursing school full-time, served as a challenging and beneficial introduction to patient care and interdisciplinary team dynamics in a large hospital setting. Following graduation from nursing school, I transferred into the CVICU at UT Southwestern. A responsibility of this magnitude so early in my nursing career contributed much to my development and continued achievement, combined with the mentoring of seasoned and experienced nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and members of the interdisciplinary team. 

Growing and learning in all things cardio-thoracic and cardio-vascular, while in a highly acute ICU hospital setting provided opportunities to care for patients with all devices and complex surgeries known in the CVICU world. Proficiency in the use of Impella, Ballon Pump, Tandem, CVVHD, LVAD implantations, while also caring for patients fresh out of the OR after any cardio-thoracic surgery, waiting for a heart or a lung transplant, and during their post-op recovery became my new normal work environment. Serving patients in such critical condition, helping them to recover with new lungs and another opportunity to breathe; or experiencing life with a new or repaired heart became very fulfilling. This success soon evolved into being mentored by ECMO Specialists early in my career. The enthusiasm continued through many hours studying and learning to care for the ECMO patient and the corresponding device that kept them alive. Challenged in new ways by caring for people at the threshold of life and death is an experience unlike any other I encounter. 

ECMO and ECLS therapy remains a positive contributing factor in the health, well-being and saving of lives. It continues to develop and grow with new devices, treatments, and discoveries. Through the latest research and the tragedy of worldwide pandemics, the beauty of how ECLS changes the course of a life is augmented. It has been my privilege to help develop and grow this therapy in multiple programs around the world. Mentoring nurses, respiratory therapists and colleagues into the world of ECMO is rewarding and does not “get old” for me. 

The concept for the unique space of ECMO Resource was created specifically for ECMO Specialists and the interdisciplinary ECMO team in 2017 while working at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a world renown hospital in the Middle East. During this time, I saw a need for more education, connection, communication and accessibility to ECMO users around the world. Why? Conferences are beneficial but limited to the attendees. Chat rooms may be helpful if you can follow along. Staff meetings are necessary in the local hospital venue, but often do not connect the clinician to the big picture and the team dynamic of ECMO around the world.

The theme seems to remain the same worldwide, regardless of the hospital or medical center. ECMO Specialists and the associated multi-disciplinary teams want to connect, collaborate, learn, and grow. However, finding a simple, user friendly, cross-cultural, global version of a digital platform to facilitate this process became a big challenge. Some believe that “necessity is the mother of invention.” So, here we go…. I decided to create it. 

ECMO Resource is a space for ECMO users and their interdisciplinary ECMO teams to share, collaborate, ask questions, provide answers, make suggestions, discover, learn, and discuss ways to improve and enhance ECLS therapy. You can read success stories and celebrate achievements worldwide. ECMO Resource is a connecting point for anyone associated with a patient receiving ECLS therapy, desiring to know more to learn and grow in their understanding. ECMO Resource is a space where real people, share real stories from all over the world. 

ECMO Resource has been created just for you. Let us give this life-saving therapy our absolute best and continue to make a difference in the lives of so many people around the world. ECMO is a gift and each life is worth it all!