As a licensed nurse and clinical engineer with experience in hemodialysis and implantable devices, I will clarify the nursing role in artificial organ therapy, focusing on these two areas by comparing nursing and clinical engineering duties.
In hemodialysis for chronic renal failure, nurses and clinical engineers often share tasks like vascular access puncture and dialysis machine monitoring. Distinct roles include machine maintenance (clinical engineers) and managing orders, treatments, and patient education (nurses). This education, covering complication prevention and lifestyle support, significantly impacts prognosis. Nurses also provide crucial emotional and informational support during renal replacement therapy modality selection.
Regarding implantable devices (e.g., pacemakers, ICDs), nurses and clinical engineers collaborate on distinct tasks. Clinical engineers primarily check device function with programmers, while nurses focus on patient education (daily life precautions, wound care) and supporting acceptance of the implanted device. Post-discharge, especially with ICDs, nurses provide vital emotional support to address patient fear and potential depression related to device activation.
For patients requiring long-term artificial organ therapy, nurses significantly influence their lives. Enabling patients to live fulfilling lives requires nurses to provide emotional support, guidance, and comprehensive patient education.
