Departments

Inpatient Nursing

Medical, Oncology and Cardiology Nursing

Nurses in the seven inpatient units in this department provide care for patients with a wide range of conditions from age 18 to end of life.

• General medical: There are three separate 32-bed general medical units. Nurses on these units care for a variety of conditions, including infectious diseases, congestive heart failure, respiratory problems, endocrine disorders and others.
• Medical oncology: A 32-bed unit for people with acute medical conditions and cancer patients receiving the following:
  • High-dose interleukin therapy
  • Chemotherapy for hematological/oncologic treatment
• Hematology/bone marrow transplant: A 32-bed unit for stem cell transplant patients and patients with the following hematologic malignancies:
  • Lymphomas
  • Leukemia
  • Multiple myeloma
• Medical intensive care unit: A 24-bed intensive care unit for critically ill patients with acute and chronic conditions, such as sepsis, shock, COPD exacerbations, and liver or renal failure. Within the unit is a three-bed biohazard specialty unit for those with highly contagious airborne diseases; it is staffed by a core team of highly trained intensive care clinicians.
• Cardiac intensive care unit: A 28-bed unit for patients with acute and chronic illnesses that involve multiple systems, such as coronary syndrome, myocardial infarctions, ventricular assist systems, heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Quality improvement initiatives: Reduction of central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, falls with injuries and hospital-acquired pressure ulcers; patient flow; patient experience; staff engagement; implement bedside reporting and culture of safety

Psychiatric Nursing

The four inpatient psychiatric nursing units and two outpatient psychiatric programs at Rush University Medical Center provide comprehensive care and services to children, adolescents, adults and geriatric patients who have psychological disorders.

• Child and adolescent: Nurses on this 15-bed unit provide therapeutic and educational services to children and adolescents ages 4 to 17. These patients have emotional and psychiatric disturbances, such as mood disorders, paranoia and attention deficit disorder.
• General adult: A 16-bed unit for adults age 18 to 65 who have a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, drug-induced psychosis or substance abuse.
• Geriatric: Nurses on this 16-bed unit provide compassionate care to adults 65 and older who have psychiatric disorders.
• Mood disorders: A 16-bed unit that offers intensive therapeutic care to acutely ill adults ages 18 to 65 who have mood disorders (also known as affective disorders), including depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive and dual diagnosis.
• Rush Day Hospital: An intensive, goal-oriented, group-based, outpatient program for adults age 18 and older who have mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders and other psychiatric conditions that interfere with their relationships and daily functioning.
• Rush Day School: A not-for-profit outpatient program that provides education and treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder and emotionally disabled children ages 6 to 14.

Surgical, Neuro, Musculoskeletal and Rehab Nursing

Nurses in the surgical services units at Rush provide care to patients who have had complex surgeries.

• Neurosciences intensive care unit: A 28-bed intensive care unit for patients who have had neurosurgery and/or neurologic conditions that require critical care.
• Surgical intensive care unit: A 24-bed intensive care unit for patients after open-heart surgery, organ transplant and complex general surgeries. The nurses in this unit also care for people who need extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
• Orthopedics: A 32-bed unit for patients with complex orthopedic conditions (including joints and spine), along with orthopedic oncology patients. Each patient room on this unit has specialized lift equipment, which helps decrease nursing injuries associated with lifting and moving patients.
• Cardiovascular and neurospine: A 32-bed unit for highly complex patients, including neurospine patients and those transitioning from intensive care. Because these patients require complex care, the unit has an acuity-based staffing model, with a nurse to patient ratio of 1:3 (or 4).
• Neurosciences: This 32-bed unit is the primary general stroke unit at Rush. In addition to stroke patients, nurses on the unit care for the following types of patients:
  • General neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Epilepsy
  • Neuro-oncology
• Transplant and general surgery: A 35-bed unit for patients who have had solid organ transplants, along with patients who have had complex general surgeries. Nurses on this unit specialize in physiologic monitoring, such as electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring and apnea monitoring.
• ENT, gynecology and general surgery: A 25-bed unit for patients who have had cancer surgery and those with complex ear, nose and throat conditions. Nurses on this unit are trained in the following:
  • Administration of chemotherapeutic agents
  • Care for patients with tracheostomies
• Rush rehabilitation: This 42-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit has all private patient rooms and is located on three separate floors. Nurses on this unit are part of a multidisciplinary team that helps patients who will benefit from aggressive acute care after they are medically cleared for discharge from the hospital. This includes the following types of patients:
  • Stroke
  • Brain injury
  • Cancer
  • General medicine
  • Heart
  • Complex orthopedics

Quality improvement initiatives: Reduction of central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, falls with injuries and hospital-acquired pressure ulcers; patient flow; patient experience; staff engagement; implement bedside reporting and culture of safety

Women and Children

The five women’s and children’s nursing units at Rush all embrace a family-centered philosophy of care for mothers, babies and children.

• Pediatric services: Nurses in pediatric services care are part of a multidisciplinary team — including physicians, social workers, child life specialists and others — that provides comprehensive care for our young patients in the following units:
  • 18-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)
  • 22-bed general pediatric unit
  • 60-bed level III (the highest possible designation) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Obstetric services: Nurses in obstetric services work closely with OB/GYNs, neonatologists, lactation consultants and others to provide care to women during labor, delivery and postpartum recovery in the following units:
  • Labor and delivery: Includes five private triage rooms, 10 labor/delivery/recovery rooms, three operating rooms and five post anesthesia recovery rooms
  • Mother-baby: 34 beds for mothers and babies to recover after labor and delivery

Perioperative

Perioperative nurses at Rush University Medical Center care for patients before, during and after surgery. They typically serve as the liaison between the surgical team and patients’ families.

Outpatient Nursing

Emergency

Rush University Medical Center’s state-of-the-art 59-bed emergency department has earned the following designations for excellence and quality care:

• Accredited by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care and the American Heart Association as a Lifeline STEMI-Accredited facility that participates in coordinated care for heart attack patients
• Part of the Medical Center’s comprehensive stroke center designation team
• Recognized with the Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP) designation, providing comprehensive emergency services to children

Quality improvement initiatives: Patient flow; bar code medication administration; nurse-activated stroke alerts and door-to-alert times; continuity of care; patient navigation

Ambulatory Care

Ambulatory care nurses at Rush University Medical Center play a critical role in population health and patient care in the following settings:

• More than 110 physician practices
• 20 clinical specialty departments
• Clinical trials and other clinical research programs
• School-based health clinics
• Community outreach initiatives

Quality improvement initiatives: implementing a departmental advisory committee that aligns with inpatient shared governance; implementing a clinical ladder system

Nursing Administration

Nursing Finance and Resource Management

Nurses and other clinical specialists in this department manage the employee and financial resources for the multiple nursing needs throughout the Medical Center. They manage the following areas:

• Patient placement: Monitor and facilitate hospital-wide bed placement and patient flow throughout the Medical Center.
• Nursing finance: Develop the productivity and expense budget for the different nursing cost centers.
• Clinical staffing office: Provide support to units and clinics throughout the Medical Center through direct patient care.
• Transfer center: Coordinate acute interfacility transfers, while safeguarding open communication between the patients, physicians at the transferring facility and care team at Rush.

Quality improvement initiatives: Efficient placement of patients from the emergency department and post-anesthesia care unit; design a command center to streamline communication to positively impact patient flow and improve response times in patient transportation, environmental services and patient placement; increase RN and PCT fill rate to 90 percent; improve nursing satisfaction

Professional Nursing Practice

Nurses in this department handle all centralized orientation and education for nurses at Rush University Medical Center, including technology training and leadership development.

Quality improvement initiatives: Reducing tracheostomy-related pressure ulcers; reducing clinical communication call volumes; yearly educational needs assessment; Magnet designation; annual competency training; animal-assisted therapy

Inpatient and Outpatient Services

Medical, Oncology and Surgical Nursing

Nurses in these units provide care for patients with a wide range of conditions.

• Oncology care: The nurses and radiation therapists in the outpatient cancer care center focus on preparing the patient and family members for their experience. Nursing in the center is focused on preparing the patient for treatments through education and assessment of needs.
• Clinical Decision Unit: The 20-bed observation unit focuses on providing care to patients who need further evaluation to determine care needs.
• Medical Surgical I: This unit consists of 25 beds, focused on patients with a variety of medical, surgical and oncology related conditions. Medical patients are those with complications of conditions such as diabetes, renal failure, respiratory infections. Surgical patients are defined as those who are post-surgical procedures.
• Medical Surgical II: This unit consists of 32 beds, focused on patients with a variety of medical, surgical and oncology related conditions. Medical and oncology patients are those with complications of conditions such as diabetes, renal failure, respiratory infections and cancer related conditions. Surgical patients are defined as those who are post-surgical procedures.
• Orthopedics/Neurosciences/Pediatrics (ONP): This 32-bed unit focuses on providing care to patients with orthopedic and neurological diseases and injuries. Six beds are dedicated to the pediatric pages, ranging from newborn through adolescence (17 years of age). Orthopedic patients may be admitted to the unit for post-operative care of total joint replacement, fractures, or trauma. Neurologic diagnoses admitted to this unit are ischemic strokes, seizure disorders, exacerbation of multiple sclerosis and altered mental status. 

Critical Care Services

• Intensive Care Unit: Our 22-bed intensive care unit (ICU) provides care for all acute cardiovascular interventions, recovery, and care of coronary artery bypass/valve surgeries, angioplasty, as well as all critical, life-threatening heart related illnesses; intermediate level neurological/neurosurgical patients; critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Other patient populations cared for by the ICU may include acute renal failure, acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage, endocrine disorders, post-cardiopulmonary arrest, multiple system organ failure and patients receiving thrombolytic therapy.
• Intermediate Care Area: Patients admitted to this 36-bed progressive care unit require a higher level of monitoring and care. Patients include, but are not limited to, the following diagnoses: step-down cardiovascular intervention and surgical procedures; all other cardiac-related illnesses such as CHF and arrhythmias; patients 17 years old and older requiring telemetry monitoring for post-procedural chronic tracheotomy, patients requiring ventilator support, and complex respiratory patients.

Cardiovascular Services

• Vascular Services (cath lab): Provides care for patients undergoing cardiac and interventional radiology procedures.
• Cardiology: Provides outpatient diagnostic testing for cardiac patients, such as stress testing, echocardiograms and EKGs.
• Vascular Care Unit (VCU): Provides pre- and post-procedure nursing care for patients undergoing cardiac and interventional radiology procedures.
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Provides support of the cardiac and pulmonary patient through exercise training and education on living a heart healthy life and ways to lower stress levels.
• Diabetes Clinic: Education program teaches patients how to cope and live with diabetes, learn how to stay healthy and prevent complications by practicing better self-management.

Emergency Services

This 33-bed Level II Trauma Center provides both acute care and express care. The Illinois Department of Public Health recognizes Rush Copley as an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP).

Yorkville Emergency Center

This eight-bed unit operates 24 hours a day, serving our Yorkville and far west communities. This department services emergency care to patients of all ages.

Family Medicine

Family Medicine Center and Family Medicine Residency Program: Rush Copley Family Medicine Center is a Family medicine residency training program. Teaching is an integral part of our clinic and our physician residents work with our teaching faculty, who are board-certified family physicians.

Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation

With 18 beds, this unit focuses on patients requiring inpatient rehabilitation services. The unit provides care to patients recovering from a physical illness or injury that has impaired their ability to complete normal activities of daily living. Services include nursing care, physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapies.

Wound Care

Rush Copley Wound and Hyperbaric Services is an outpatient center that provides personalized treatment for chronic wounds including hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

Women's Health

The women's health units at Rush Copley embrace a family-centered philosophy of care for mothers and babies. Units include the following:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): Includes 13 Level III beds (highest possible designation and only Level III in Fox Valley area) and 14 intermediate care beds.
• Labor and delivery: Comprises six antepartum beds, 14 labor/delivery/recovery rooms and an alternative birthing suite. Labor and delivery also houses two OR suites, used for cesarean sections, postpartum tubal ligations, cerclage placements and emergent procedures.
• Obstetrics: This 34-bed department serves all obstetrics cases, including full neonatal services for infants. Obstetrics department also functions with a seven-day-per-week inpatient and outpatient lactation program. Comprehensive community education and prenatal education programs are provided throughout the year.
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Provides outpatient care and diagnostic testing of the high-risk obstetrical patient.
• Pelvic Medicine: Provides outpatient care for the pelvic medicine and urogynecology patient.

Perioperative Services

Perioperative nurses at Rush care for patients before, during and after surgery. They typically serve as the liaison between the surgical team and patients’ families. Nursing units in this area include the following:

• Center for Digestive Health: The center offers patients the most complete and current gastroenterology services available, providing diagnostic as well as advanced therapeutic treatments and procedures.
• Operating Room: The OR has 14 suites, one designated for cardiovascular, one for neuro, one cysto and 11 general operating rooms.
• Day Surgery and Post-Anesthesia Care Units: These units offer for patients prior to and after undergoing surgical, endoscopic or invasive procedures. Typically patients in this area are discharged home same day.
• Pre-admission Testing: Nursing team makes initial contact with patient pre-hospital to confirm patient information, patient education and any necessary pre-operative labs/tests.

Inpatient Nursing

Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit
5th floor

A 14-bed intensive care unit for critically ill patients with acute and chronic medical and surgical conditions. This unit was recognized in 2018 with the Gold Beacon Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

General Medical Surgical (6West)
6^th floor

A 39-bed medical surgical unit. Nurses on this unit care for a variety of conditions, including infectious diseases, congestive heart failure, respiratory problems, endocrine disorders, sepsis and more.

Telemetry
5^th floor

A 24-bed medical surgical telemetry unit. Nurses on this unit care for patients with acute and chronic illnesses that involve multiple systems, such as coronary syndrome, myocardial infarctions, heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Post-Surgical Care (3Center)
3^rd floor

A 10-bed unit for patients who have had various surgical procedures including, but not limited to, orthopedics, abdominal, gynecologic, vascular and pain management.

Outpatient Nursing

Emergency Department
First floor

A sate-of-the-art 22-bed emergency department that opened in 2019.

Ambulatory Care

Ambulatory care nurses at Rush Oak Park Hospital play a critical role in population health and patient care in the following settings:

• Seven practice locations providing primary care
• Certified Diabetes and Endocrine Center
• Community outreach initiatives
• Care coordination for identified at-risk patients
• RN triage protocols

Quality improvement initiatives: implementing a departmental advisory committee that aligns with inpatient shared governance; implementing a clinical ladder system.