- Xander Frandsen
- Spring 2026
Faculty instructor: Annette Jenkins
Abstract
Background: The Society of Critical Care Medicine’s ICU Liberation (ABCDEF) Bundle improves critically ill patient outcomes via holistically and systematically addressing pain, spontaneous awakening and breathing trials, sedation, delirium, mobility, and family engagement. However, this standardized bundle does not fully address the more unique post-cardiac surgery patient physical challenges and needs within the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).
Purpose: This practicum project is aimed at addressing the inconsistent use and application of the ABCDEF Bundle in the CICU via developing a unit-specific bedside checklist that is tailored to this unique post-cardiac surgery patient population at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Methods: Interviews were conducted with a cardiothoracic surgery nurse practitioner, CICU educator, and a bedside CICU nurse from the Sacred Heart Medical Center to pinpoint barriers, personal sentiment, and cardiac-specific considerations. Concurrently, evidence regarding the ABCDEF Bundle was reviewed coupled with the local post-open heart care guidelines, delirium protocols, and spontaneous awakening and breathing trial protocols. All this data was then synthesized to help create a clinically practical one-page bedside checklist.
Discussion: The cardiac-tailored checklist aims to include cardiac safety screens and improve upon the overlooked bundle elements while complimenting the existing local unit protocols. The next steps will be presenting the checklist to CICU leadership for feedback and potentially piloting the implementation or availability of the checklist to be used as a clinical tool to improve bundle adherence and post-cardiac surgery patient recovery.
Keywords: ABCDEF Bundle, ICU Liberation, post-cardiac surgery, cardiac intensive care, checklist