Nursing at UI Health

Nursing Departments

At UI Health, nursing provides high-quality patient care services that meet or exceed the needs and expectations of our patients, support health equity, demonstrate a focus on quality and performance improvement, and promote talent and education.

Adult Acute Care

Our multispecialty surgical units are composed of orthopedics, bariatric, urology, spine, plastics, gynecology, and general surgery services.

• In support of UI Health’s MBSAQIP Bariatric Accredited Program, these units are home to two state-of-the-art bariatric designated rooms that are equipped with equipment that can accommodate patients up to 1,000 lbs., including bariatric ceiling lifts.
• These two units are multi-recipients of the prestigious AMSN PRISM Award co-sponsored by the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) and the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board.

The Walter Payton Liver Center provides comprehensive pre and postoperative care to patients with hepatic, transplant surgeries and other GI surgeries and diagnostic procedures. Endowed by the Walter Payton Foundation, this Center's staff is on the cutting edge of diagnosis, treatment, and discovery. And more importantly, as Walter "Sweetness" Payton would have insisted "the best care available - is available to everybody."

The medical-surgical units serve a diverse population of adult and geriatric patients experiencing diabetes, heart disease, chronic renal failure, asthma/COPD and sickle cell disease.

• Several of the units manage patients with increased monitoring needs and acuity.. .
• One of the units received its first PRISM award in 2024.

For hematology/oncology care, our patients and their families benefit from evidence-based cancer care. Working together, the team provides "total" care for the patient and family, utilizing innovative and holistic treatments.

• Our partnership with UIC's Medical College offers our patients the latest in clinical trial research coupled with a patient-focused treatment plan addressing both their physical and emotional needs.
• The specialty unit performs stem cell/bone marrow transplantation, which is one of the most effective treatments for a variety of malignant and nonmalignant conditions including leukemia, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, aplastic anemia, and sickle cell disease.
• The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center provides routine outpatient services with our skilled and dedicated team., with the Acute Care Center is led by our Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. The APRNs provide an alternative to the typical emergency room experience by immediately and aggressively treating acute painful episodes that are unable to be managed at home thereby reducing the need for hospitalization.

The Medical/Cardiac Unit (unit provides care to patients under Cardiology and Cardiothoracic (CT) services. including care post-CABG (coronary artery bypass graft), post-TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), and with non-titrating, continuous cardiac IV medications.

The Neuro Unit’s primary providers include neurology providers and neuroscience APRNs. They have extensive experience diagnosing and treating common and complex neurological disorders and conditions.

• The most common diagnoses include acute ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, epilepsy, stable brain aneurysms, brain and spinal tumors, autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, infections of the nervous system, and various spinal abnormalities.
• In addition to being certified as Comprehensive Stroke Center, they are a Level IV Epilepsy Center. This unit is a recipient of the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence.

Observation Unit – Patients cared for in this space include a wide range of services, including post procedures from our Interventional Radiology/Cardiology departments.

• This is an APRN managed unit that cares for patients that require medically necessary services with an anticipated stay of 6-23 hours in observation status.

Dialysis - UI Health provides Outpatient, Inpatient, and Home Dialysis Services. The Outpatient Dialysis Center provides hemodialysis by skilled nursing staff and hemodialysis technicians. The Inpatient Dialysis Unit is located in the main hospital building and provides hemodialysis to our inpatient population.

Adult Critical Care

Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit - This unit’s primary focus includes pulmonology, cardiology, and cardiothoracic surgery specializing in the care of critically ill medical-surgical adult patients with a broad range of illnesses.

• Utilizing some of the world's most advanced technology, our innovative team is on the cutting edge of diagnosis, treatment, and discovery.
• Nurses on this unit are members of both the cardiac arrest/code team and rapid response team.

Neuro-Surgery Intensive Care Unit - This units’ primary providers include neurosurgery and neurology. The unit provides expert treatment for conditions and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system, including stroke, brain aneurysm, brain tumors, and degenerative spinal disease.

• UI Health is a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. This unit is a recipient of the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence.

Organ Transplant and Surgical Intensive Care - This unit is an integral part of a renowned program that provides state-of-the-art kidney, liver, pancreas, small bowel, and islet cell transplantation services. This specialized team of nurses provides a continuum of pre-operative, post-operative recovery, and discharge patient services.

• In addition to transplant surgeries, the unit provides care to other surgical patients including general surgery, vascular surgery, plastic, ENT, and OMFS.
• In addition, as a Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery, we also care for the most complex cases using this innovative technique.

Women’s and Children’s Services

Labor and Delivery, Mom-Baby/Antepartum Units - Our Level III Perinatal Center provides a wide array of comprehensive services designed to support you before, during, and immediately following the birth of your baby. Our expert team offers innovative obstetrical care, routine as well as high-risk, for both mother and infant.

OBER - We also have a newly renovated OBER dedicated to addressing urgent care concerns throughout pregnancy and six weeks post-partum. We know that our patients need obstetric care immediately upon arriving at our facility, rather than waiting in the general emergency room.

Pediatrics and Pediatric Intensive Care Units - Our Pediatric Department includes a general Pediatric Unit, and an Intensive Care Unit serving newborns to young adults, with a variety of illnesses.

• In our family-centered unit, the children’s and parents' needs are our main concern.
• We have achieved the Pediatric Critical Care Center (PCCC) designation from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC).

Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) Unit - As a designated Level III (highest level of care) Perinatal Center, our team provides cutting-edge treatment for a complete range of neonatal and infant critical illnesses. Our approach is two-fold; providing exceptional healthcare for our patients while empowering and supporting their parents and families.

• Our unit serves as a referral destination for critically ill newborns throughout the state of Illinois.

Perioperative, Procedural and Surgical Services

Gastro-Intestinal (GI), Bronchoscopy and Cardiac Catheter Labs - Nurses in these labs help physicians perform more than 4,500 procedures a year, including endoscopic ultrasounds, magnification colonoscopies, cardiac catheterizations, and double balloon enterostomy of the small bowel.

Radiology - With our interventional suites and an array of state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, nurses help physicians perform thousands of innovative procedures including intracranial treatment of aneurysms, fibroid embolization, and radio frequency tumor ablations.

Operating Room - Our surgical team utilizes the latest medical technology and research to offer the best care available. Whether it's a simple surgical intervention or a highly complex procedure, our goal is always the same - helping patients achieve their highest level of health. Our transplantation service is another renowned program providing state-of-the-art kidney, liver, pancreas, small bowel, and islet cell transplantation.

Anesthesia Pre-Operative Evaluation Clinic and Surgi-Center - APEC and Surgi-center staff provide pre and post-op care and education. Our belief is that a well-informed patient is best able to participate in decisions that affect his or her health, and patients who take an active part in their healthcare decisions have better outcomes. APEC and Surgi-center are located adjacent to the OR.

Post-Anesthesia Recovery Room - The PACU is staffed by RNs and anesthesiologists who provide post-op and post-anesthesia care. Our entire dedicated healthcare team takes great pride in the clinical and educational services we provide.

Specialty Care Building - We opened in September 2022 and offer a wide variety of outpatient surgical procedures with the latest technology, including; Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Urology, General Surgery, Plastic surgery, ENT, Pediatrics, Colorectal, and Neuroscience.

• Our RN staff is focused on quality care and manage IV starts using ultrasound technology.
• There is a nursing model effectively being used for new RN graduates or those without prior OR experience.

PeriAnesthesia area offers private flexible pre-op and PACU bays to meet the needs of the surgical schedule that ebbs and flows throughout the day. These rooms are conducive to a healing environment with doors for quiet and privacy.

• UI Health is the No. 1 referral destination for ophthalmologists in the region and we offer procedure type surgical rooms used for cataract surgery.

The Endoscopy floor of the SCB also offers private flexible rooms for preop and PACU spaces.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) at UI Health

The Office of Advanced Practice Providers (OAPP) within the division of nursing takes a multi-pronged approach to advancing the practice of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) throughout UI Health.

• In 2020, UI Health became the first Academic Medical Center in Illinois to accept and implement the Full Practice Authority APRN license (APRN-FPA) that allows qualified APRNs who met the requirements set by the State APRN practice law to practice without written collaborative agreement. This was a testimony not only to the trusting working relationship of each physician and APP, but also to the seamless alignment of our organization with the State APRN Practice law.
• We have a full complement of services provided by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNPs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs). Some practice areas include the Emergency Room Supertrack, our Acute Sickle Cell Center, and our specialty ICU units.

Ambulatory Services

Ambulatory Services at UI Health boasts a comprehensive network of 26 clinics, delivering a spectrum of specialty and primary care outpatient services. Our dedicated nursing staff plays pivotal roles in various capacities, contributing to preventive medicine, care coordination, triage, patient education, and procedural care.

• Committing to holistic healthcare, our ambulatory services prioritize patient well-being by seamlessly integrating specialized expertise and compassionate care.