Cherri, RN

Listen to the way Cherri Macklin, R.N., and her colleagues describe their work in the University Hospital's Surgical Intensive Care Unit: Intense. Constantly changing. Stressful.

Yet Cherri is the picture of calm professionalism as she cares for the extremely high-risk patients in the 20-bed unit. Indeed, more than one patient has asked Cherri if nurses have to take a personality test to work in the unit because the level of care they receive is extraordinary, and the personal touch unforgettable.

Cherri starts each shift in a large conference room where staff members discuss all of their patients' cases. Then, she pairs up with the nurse from the previous shift to discuss the individuals she will care for personally.

Because the Surgical Intensive Care Unit cares for patients who need exceptionally close monitoring, the patient load per nurse in this ward is small. If a case is particularly risky, one-on-one care may be necessary. Whether it is one or five patients to care for, the work requires skill, focus and compassion. A nurse's day is filled with checking vitals, dispensing meds and dozens of other tasks that are critical to the patient's recovery.

Even though she has worked at U-M Health System for 19 years, nursing is still fresh for Cherri. On any given day, she may need to prevent a patient's cardiac arrest, assist with a bedside tracheotomy or cannulate a patient for ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).

“I come every day knowing I am going to learn something new. The nurses are incredible with what they know. And the doctors are amazing.”

Cherri finds it exciting to see patients thrive with the new technologies that are developed within the walls of the University of Michigan Health System, and she is proud to be part of a team that is renowned for its patient care and surgical expertise. In fact, people travel from all over the country to receive care in her unit, which treats patients undergoing major vascular and peripheral surgery, kidney revascularization, GI surgical procedures, oncological surgical procedures requiring intensive care monitoring, liver/pancreas/kidney transplant surgery, ECMO, and more.

“My experience has been wonderful. It has been a dream to work for one of the biggest and best medical centers in the nation.”