The ECMO Specialist coordinates clinical care for patients requiring extracorporeal life support and mechanical circulatory support devices. Responsibilities include device management, patient monitoring, emergency response, and mentoring junior specialists.
Requirements summary
Requires a license as an RN, Respiratory Care Practitioner, or Certified Clinical Perfusionist with at least two years of critical care experience. Candidates must hold current ACLS, BLS, and PALS certifications and have a degree in a healthcare-related discipline.
bachelor degreeprofessional certificatePatient MonitoringPatient AssessmentACLSEmergency ResponseBLSPALSAnticoagulation ManagementCritical Care NursingHemodynamic MonitoringBlood Gas InterpretationMechanical Circulatory SupportECMO ManagementClinical PreceptingVAD ManagementCircuit PrimingUltrafiltration Techniques
Job description
Job summary
The ECMO Specialist (ES) is a licensed allied health care professional with a strong clinical background in neonatal, pediatric and/or adult critical care and advanced cardiopulmonary support. The ES has ≥ 2 years ICU experience or completion of an accredited cardiovascular perfusion training program. The ES is responsible for the coordination of clinical care for patients requiring the support of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) & mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices under the direction & supervision of credentialed ECMO and advanced heart failure physicians. The ES adheres to the policies, guidelines & best practices set forth by the director, manager & coordinator of the ECMO department. The ES plays a key role in device management, patient monitoring, emergency response, and quality improvement initiatives. Clinical Level Detail The ECMO Specialist (ES) is a competent technical specialist, preceptor & ECMO primer. The ES is a proficient clinician in two high acuity clinical environments where care of an ECLS or MCS patient is provided (2 ICU's or Any ICU + OR, CVL, Transport etc.) & in two patient populations (Adult, Pediatric &/or Neonatal). Clinical Level Minimal Experience The required experience to qualify as an ES is ≥ 2 years’ experience as an ES; or completion of an accredited program in cardiovascular perfusion, nursing, or respiratory therapy. Completed annual required hands-on drills, simulations & passed annual competency examination(s) for an ES. Completed clinical ECMO orientations in two patient populations (Adult, Pediatric &/or Neonatal). Clinical Level Responsibilities The ES is trained to independently prime, operate, troubleshoot & manage ECLS & MCS devices. The ES can independently initiate support & manage advanced ECLS & MCS care plans. The ES can independently troubleshoot clinical scenarios. The ES is trained to independently manage ECLS & MCS emergencies and coordinate the allied health care team to implement major interventions. The ES is a clinical preceptor and resource for level I & II specialists.
MAJOR
DUTIES /
Critical
TASKS: Programmatic Responsibilities ·
Education: Collaborates with ECMO team leadership and contributes to education, training, precepting & mentoring of all ES I & II team members. ·
Equipment: Assists leadership with equipment maintenance, cleaning & troubleshooting of ECMO, MCS & ECMO monitoring equipment. Ensures backup ECMO circuit is primed & ready for use each shift. Technical Specialist Responsibilities ·
Patient
Identification: Collaborates with multidisciplinary physician teams to identify patients indicated for ECLS or MCS therapies and in concordance with ECMO physician guides care team to adhere to indications and contraindications as found in program guidelines and policies. ·
Initiation of
Support: Coordinates & collaborates with multidisciplinary care team to prepare patient and environment for the timely and safe initiation of ECLS or MCS support. ·
Patient
Management &
Monitoring on
Support: Assess and manage patient clinical needs, including but not limited to patient assessment, hemodynamic monitoring, NIRS, blood gas interpretation, laboratory results, fluid balance, nutrition, respiratory support, neurologic status, infection control, sedation, pain management, hematology, and cardiac function. ·
Documentation: In collaboration with bedside clinician, follows department guidelines for EMR documentation. Utilizes the ECMO flow sheet & EMR to maintain ongoing detailed documentation of the ECMO case. This includes hourly charting in flowsheet, progress & procedure notes, events, complications, physician communication, input & output, medication, blood administration & physical assessment documentation associated with monitoring the delivery of ECMO therapy. ·
Diagnostic
Testing: Coordinates with care team to ensure safe execution and delivery of diagnostic testing such as x-ray, ultrasound, echocardiography, EEG including safe and timely transportation to CT, invasive lab or operating room. Evaluates chest x-rays for endotracheal tube, ECMO cannula, or MCS device position & placement. ·
Extracorporeal
VAD
Management: Assist the physician during insertion of extracorporeal VAD devices; manage and troubleshoot equipment issues such as pump failures or circuit occlusions; monitor and optimize patient hemodynamics (e.g., flow rates, pressure support) and anticoagulation strategies to prevent thrombosis or bleeding; coordinate discontinuation and removal processes, ensuring safe weaning and device explanation. ·
Percutaneously
Inserted
VAD
Management: Assist the physician during percutaneous insertion; manage and troubleshoot device-specific issues like position migration or suction events; assess patient hemodynamics and anticoagulation protocols; oversee discontinuation, including safe removal and post-removal monitoring. ·
Implanted
VAD
Management: Assist the physician & VAD coordinator during surgical implantation; manage and troubleshoot equipment such as driveline issues or pump thrombosis; evaluate and fine-tune patient hemodynamics and long-term anticoagulation strategies; facilitate discontinuation through explanation or transition to other therapies, following the guidance of the VAD coordinator. ·
ECLS
Circuit
Priming and
Initiation: Prepare and prime ECLS circuits, including pumps, oxygenators, heat exchangers, shunt lines and associated components, ensuring sterility and functionality prior to patient connection. ·
ECLS
Circuit
Blood
Priming: Safely blood primes ECMO circuits for patients as indicated by department guidelines, policies or as requested by cannulating ECMO physician. Maintains competency in strategies to anticoagulate, buffer, correct electrolytes, wash, hemoconcentrate & interpret ECMO circuit blood gases. ·
ECMO
Circuit
Maintenance: Continuously monitor and maintain ECMO circuit integrity, including adjusting blood flow rates, monitoring pressure gradients, to prevent complications like hemolysis or clot formation. ·
ECMO
Circuit
Evaluation: Using in-line tools and blood gas analyses to calculate metrics such as oxygen consumption (VO2), oxygen delivery (DO2), oxygen transfer rate, recirculation & sweep gas adjustment rate. ·
ECMO
Circuit
Troubleshooting: Identify and resolve issues such as circuit leaks, component failures, or suboptimal performance, including elective or emergent component changes when indicated. ·
Anticoagulation
Management on
ECMO: Monitor and adjust anticoagulation levels to balance the risk of circuit thrombosis and patient hemostasis. ·
Clot
Formation
Management: Evaluate clot formation through staging (e.g., visual inspection, pressure monitoring), triage severity, and recommend anticoagulation adjustments to mitigate risks of major patient events such as embolism or circuit failure. · CVVHD/Hemodialysis Management (e.g.,
Prismaflex,
NxStage,
Aquadex): Assist in setup of continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHD) or hemodialysis devices integrated into the ECMO circuit; monitor therapy parameters including dialysate flow, ultrafiltration rates, electrolyte balance, and fluid removal; manage ongoing therapy by adjusting settings for optimal clearance and patient stability; troubleshoot issues such as filter clotting, pressure alarms, or access problems, following hospital guidelines for renal replacement therapy in ECMO patients. ·
ECMO
Circuit
Ultrafiltration
Techniques: Safely crystalloid prime & insert hemofilter into the ECMO circuit shunt line. Implement slow continuous ultrafiltration (SCUF), zero-balance ultrafiltration (ZBUF), or countercurrent hemodialysis (CVVHD) using the ECMO circuit hemoconcentrator. Monitor & document fluid input & output, ultrafiltration volumes, patient hemodynamics, and electrolyte shifts; manage and troubleshoot blood & ultrafiltration flow rates, circuit integration issues and replace or remove hemoconcentrator as indicated. ·
Cytokine and
Inflammatory
Marker
Removal: Safely crystalloid prime & insert cytokine absorbers into the ECMO circuit for removal of cytokines, endotoxins, and inflammatory markers as ordered by ECMO physician; monitor adsorption efficiency, absorber performance, and patient inflammatory biomarkers; manage and troubleshoot blood flow rate, adsorber saturation & circuit integration issues. Replace or remove cytokine absorber as indicated. ·
Medication
Administration to
ECMO
Circuit: Following physician guidance and orders, administer patient-required medications directly into the ECMO circuit, collaborate with ECMO physician and reports concerning circuit sequestration & drug efficacy. Maintains up to date knowledge & understanding of the pharmacokinetic effects of all drugs and treatments given to the patient via the ECMO circuit. Examples but not limited to, vasoactive drip titration (e.g., adjusting norepinephrine or vasopressin doses for hemodynamic stability), sedatives, analgesics, antibiotics, and other supportive agents; monitor drug levels and effects, troubleshooting suboptimal responses or interactions. ·
Blood
Product
Administration to
ECMO
Circuit: Following physician guidance & orders, administer blood products (e.g., packed red blood cells, platelets, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate) via the ECMO circuit to maintain target blood count parameters and physician guided platelet & coagulation cascade functionality; monitor transfusion effects on circuit function and patient hemostasis; troubleshoot & monitor for transfusion-related complications & reactions. ·
ECMO
Circuit
Flow
Management: Manage all ECMO circuit flows. Follow guidelines to set alarms, interpret changes in pressures, communicate concerns with ECMO physician & care team, coordinate appropriate interventions to resolve deviations greater than 10%25 from physician-ordered patient flow. ·
Troubleshooting
ECMO
System
Alarms: Interpret and troubleshoot ECMO system alarms, triaging the need for planned, staged or emergency interventions. Communicate with care team and ECMO leadership to implement component, circuit or equipment exchanges in a safe and timely manner. ·
Troubleshooting
Ancillary
Equipment
Functionality &
Alarms: Address alarms from any device connected to the ECMO circuit, triaging the need for replacement and coordinating with ECMO leadership & patient care team to replace equipment in a safe and timely manner. ·
ECMO
Transport: Safely lead and coordinate inter-facility and intra-facility ECMO transport. Ensure safe patient handling, circuit integrity, ECMO equipment functionality and ordered ECMO flows are maintained. ·
Weaning,
Withdrawal &
Decannulation from
ECMO: Assess patient readiness for weaning & follow guidelines & physician orders to safely wean ECMO flow (V-A/V-PA) or sweep gas (V-V). Coordinate patient care team to safely transition patient off ECMO and ensuring vent settings are no longer in “ECMO rest settings” and inotropic support is available. Assist ECMO physician in decannulation procedure. Compassionately support family and coordinate with ECMO physician and care team to withdraw ECMO when end of life measures are ordered. Emergency Responses The ECMO Specialist will master the necessary skills with repeated clinical drills until meeting the ECMO director, manager, and/or coordinators’ expected time and best practice goals in response to ECMO emergencies. These guidelines & goals are set to minimize loss of flow & reduce risk of secondary harm that may occur during the interruption of extracorporeal life support therapy.
Emergency response training includes, but not limited to: ·
Power failure: Ensure equipment is connected to generator backed red outlet. If power failure is extended ensure backup equipment is readily available to swap consoles prior to battery depletion. ·
Equipment
Failure &
Hand
Cranking: Triage the need for emergency hand cranking, coordinating with the allied health care team to start emergency ventilation & patient management strategies. Hand crank to maintain goal-directed flow using visual indicators of RPM’s and patient vital signs. Coordinate the replacement of failed ECMO system components. ·
Blood
Pump
Failures: Rapidly triage and differentiate blood pump failures (clotted cone, decoupling), mitigate loss of flow possible, clamp circuit if not and safely & rapidly replace failed blood pump or circuit. ·
Air
Entrainment: Detect and eliminate air bubbles in the circuit using bubble detectors and de-airing techniques, clamp ECMO circuit, isolate patient from air embolism, remove air from circuit and re-establish flow. Replace entire circuit if unable to clear air from a mass air entrainment. Investigate and identify the cause of air entrainment and resolve prior to initiating flow to the patient & through the circuit. ·
Cannula
Dislodgement: If an ECMO cannula dislodges, clamp dislodged cannula, coordinating with the care team & ECMO physician for immediate surgical intervention while maintaining patency of functioning cannula and attempting to salvage ECMO circuit. Prepare backup circuit for circuit exchange if indicated. Support cannulating physician with re-insertion or exchange of dislodged cannula and safely initiating ECMO. ·
Cannula
Malpositioning or
Impedance of
Flow: Manage cannula malpositioning or flow impedance by interpreting circuit pressures to identify the cannula with increased impedance. Reposition patient or attempt to correct cannula malpositioning to re-establish goal flow. If impedance is unresolvable, contact cannulating physician. Coordinating patient stabilization, positioning and diagnostic imaging to further investigate impedance. Prepare for surgical interventions, mechanical thrombectomy, or cannula exchange if indicated. ·
Uncontrolled
Hemorrhage: Manage acute or uncontrolled bleeding by administering fluids or blood products to ECMO circuit to maintain goal flow and stopping anticoagulation. Assist care team by utilizing ECMO circuit as a method of rapid & mass transfusion. ·
Advanced
Life
Support (ACLS,
PALS,
BLS): Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to stabilize hemodynamics of the patient and adjust ACLS & PALS algorithm to augment the support capabilities of the current ECLS or MCS strategy. ·
Circuit
Exchange: Triage the need for planned or emergent circuit exchange and coordinate with the allied health care team safely complete a full circuit exchange if indicated. ·
Circuit
Tubing or
Component
Fracture,
Rupture or
Failure: Respond to circuit tubing or component fracture, rupture or failure by clamping affected sections, replacing tubing or component and restoring circuit integrity to minimize loss of support & prevent blood loss or air entrainment. ·
Circuit
Obstruction of
Flow: Detect and correct obstruction of flow by evaluating circuit pressures, identifying problem location and visually inspecting for kinks, clamps or thrombus. Repositioning tubing, components, holders & brackets to restore optimal flow. If obstruction is unresolvable due to internal obstruction/thrombosis, triage the need use push-pull techniques for mechanical thrombectomy or to replace section, component or entire circuit and execute appropriate action to restore goal flow. ·
Oxygenator
Failure: Manage oxygenator failure by monitoring blood flow & gas exchange metrics (e.g., rising pressure drops or reduced oxygenation and/or ventilation), triaging for immediate or planned replacement & coordinating oxygenator or circuit change-out procedure with care team.
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES · Satisfactory maintenance of clinical competencies for level of position · Satisfactory completion of 90%25 and above on annual ECMO exam · Satisfactory completion of required special procedure classes · Knowledge regarding quality improvement and standards of care within practice area · Experience teaching patients and families · Excellent communication skills · Knowledge of and ability to evaluate and assess arterial blood gas measurements · Ability to respond to emergent or stressful situations appropriately, calmly, and in a timely manner REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE: · Licensed as Respiratory Care Practitioner AND RRT OR CRRT Credentialed by the National Board for Respiratory Care OR Registered Nurse license in the state of Texas OR Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) as recognized by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) AND State of Texas Licensure as a Licensed Perfusionist Graduate of a Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) accredited School for Respiratory Care OR Degree in Nursing OR Graduate of Perfusion Program Preferred Baccalaureate degree and certification in care specific area Two (2) years directly related critical care experience in adult or neonatal and/or pediatric care including patient assessment, technical skills and psychosocial aspects of care.
Two (2) years of experience as an ECMO Specialist (ECMO Primer) & maintains active competencies to prime and initiate ECMO · Bachelor’s Degree or higher in allied health or healthcare related discipline Must have current ACLS, BLS, and PALS obtained through American Heart Association (AHA) WORKING ENVIRONMENT/EQUIPMENT May be required to travel in ambulance with patient.
May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens, ionizing & non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications and disoriented or combative patients or others.
Standard office equipment, standard patient care supplies, and other related equipment.
Conditions such as noise, odors, cramped workspace and/or fumes could sometimes cause discomfort.
Moderate to extreme physical effort may be required, such as walking, standing, performing CPR, and lifting materials, equipment, objects, and/or patients.
Frequent lifting over 20 lbs. may occur.
Occasional lifting may be heavy and awkward, over 50 lbs.
Vision, hearing, talking, and sense of touch abilities must be adequate to enable one to quickly and accurately perform tasks such as reading small print, reading from monitoring equipment, defining details, sending and receiving clear and accurate oral and written communication.
Frequent periods of concentrated or focused attention will be needed to interpret visual, auditory, and sensory inputs.
Alertness and careful attention to detail will be required to avoid injury.
Manual dexterity in order to operate equipment.
Ability to assist with positioning and transporting patients, pushing beds, carts and wheelchairs.
Requires corrected hearing and vision to normal range.
Possibility to work overtime at times to care for ECMO patients.
Staffing Scheduling – Will respond to ECMO activation within 120 minutes Primer Scheduling - Not required.
If volunteering for primer scheduling, will respond to ECMO activation calls within 60 minutes and will communicate & collaborate with leadership regarding all activations.
Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimums require the prior approval of the Executive Director of Human Resources.
