The Ten-Minute Interview with… AnnMarie Russart, BS, AASCardiovascular Technology, RCIS

Upon graduating from the cardiovascular technology program at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Milwaukee, WI in 2002, I began my cath lab career working in the Heart and Vascular Center at SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford, IL. I had the great fortune to work with excellent physicians and staff, and I was given the opportunity to gain invaluable experience working with all aspects of the vascular system, including electrophysiology (EP). I took those experiences and many fond memories with me last year when my wonderful, supportive husband and I moved back to Wisconsin. I currently work as a cardiovascular technologist at the cath lab in my hometown. Why did you choose to work in the invasive cardiology field? I love the variety in patient care — being able to switch between assisting with heart cath procedures and implants, to peripherals and EP studies, and then having the option to either monitor or scrub. Can you describe your role in the cardiovascular lab? Currently I scrub and monitor in our heart, peripheral and EP labs. I’ve been involved with precepting new cath lab employees and served on committees responsible for updating and expanding orientation programs for new and existing cath lab staff members. What is the biggest challenge you see regarding your role in the cardiovascular lab? Learning all the ins and outs of EP studies. What motivates you to continue your involvement with the cath lab? I got called in one night for a patient who came into the emergency room with a totally occluded right coronary artery. We opened it up and stented it, and the pained, distressed look on his face went away, along with the “tombstones” on his EKG. This patient was actually a good friend of my husband’s, and a very active man in his community. Being able to see how well he is doing now, and knowing that I had a hand in helping him continue the activities he loves motivates me. Seeing him able to continue volunteering for countless numbers of worthy organizations in his community serves as a reminder of the importance of every life that comes into the lab. When work gets stressful and you experience low moments (as we all do), what do you do to help keep your morale high? I have found that situations are what you make of them. So, if I can, my goal is to try not to sweat the small stuff. I am a big proponent of the mind and body connection, so when I’m free I attend the weekly 15 minute “Meditation Moment” sessions provided by our hospital for its patients and staff. In addition, Community Memorial happens to be located in a picturesque setting where I can take a moment to enjoy the beautiful sunrise through the cath lab windows, or take in the flowering healing garden adjacent to the cath lab. When all this fails (and most times even when it doesn’t), I always keep a stash of dark chocolate on hand. Have you ever been involved in a particularly unusual case? I don’t believe I have ever been involved in an unusual case, other than to wheel a patient emergently down the hall to the OR with a balloon inflated in his coronary artery while someone was simultaneously performing CPR. Are you involved with the SICP or any other cardiovascular societies? I’ve been a member of the Illinois chapter of the SICP since 2005, and recently joined the Wisconsin SICP Chapter as Treasurer. Are there websites or texts that you would recommend to other cardiovascular labs? Wes Todd’s review books (www.westodd.com) helped me immensely when it came time to take the RCIS exam. I enjoy my online subscription to Coronary Heart, and I always tear out and save the “Ask the Clinical Instructor” section in Cath Lab Digest to use as a future teaching tool for cardiovascular students or staff new to the cath lab. Do you remember participating in your first invasive procedure? Early on in my CVT training I was afforded the opportunity to observe my preceptor scrub into a case. The diagnostic heart cath turned into an intervention, so he began rattling off a series of pieces of equipment he was going to need opened onto his table. I remember feeling a slight wave of panic, wondering how in the world I would ever know exactly what equipment I would quickly need to ask for, let alone how I would be able to ask for it with such confidence! If you could send a message back to yourself at the beginning of your cardiovascular career, what advice would you give? One of my mottos is to always be prepared. So I would remind my “early” self of the importance of meeting with all the vendor representatives that come into the lab, making sure I know how to use their product inside and out, and writing down the instructions if necessary. My luck always seems to be that when I’m on call and there are few people around to ask for advice, a doctor will ask for that seldom-used piece of equipment that I’m expected to know how to seamlessly operate during a critical time. Finally, always contribute to and be a part of your cath lab, sharing with others the experiences you’ve learned along the way. Where do you hope to be in your career when it is time to retire? It’s hard to say what I’ll be doing 25 years from now, but I hope I’ll retire from a place of employment I enjoy going to every day, and in which I’m making a positive impact by helping to improve the quality of life for the patients I come in contact with. Has anyone in particular been helpful to you in your growth as a cardiovascular professional? My first two preceptors, Mike Pederson and Bill Thornborrow, contributed immensely to my growth as a cardiovascular professional. Mike passed on to me his knowledge of sterile technique, and taught me to always be prepared, quizzing me early in my training on what to do and the proper equipment to ask for in various scenarios. I thank Bill for always patiently answering all my questions, and for explaining things in a fashion that easily aided my understanding and remembering. I could always count on Bill. If he didn’t know the answer, he would find it. Where do you think the invasive cardiovascular field is headed? I have often curiously read other answers to this question in this column as I am always interested to know the answer myself! But my dream would be to see holistic methods of healing and “evidence-based complementary therapies” become mainstream, resulting in more hospitals and cath labs designed similar to the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine featured in the January 2009 issue of Cath Lab Digest. I would also like to see products shipped with less waste (and in environmentally-friendly packaging), along with more widespread practices of recycling items in the cath lab. AnnMarie Russart can be contacted at flatlandercvt@hotmail.com

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