Zachary Cooper
August 2025
Zachary
Cooper
,
RN
CVICU
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center
Athens
,
GA
United States
Zach Cooper, RN, carries the “heart” (pun intended) of how each patient on the unit should be treated.
The ability to work effectively, efficiently, yet compassionately, in the Cardiac ICU is no easy task. Consistently accepting critical patients, especially those who come directly from open-heart surgery, takes a great deal of critical thinking. And to consistently work with these patients over and over again for years is something to be commended. Navigating the landscape of bedside, open-heart surgery recovery, with every intricacy and complication that comes with it, requires skill, patience, and dedication. All of these traits, and then some, are no more exemplified than in Zachary Cooper, CICU RN.
I’ve had the privilege to be trained and work alongside Zach for a measly 2 years. However, in that short time frame, I’ve watched him work effectively and with such dedication managing these open-heart patients. His skill and thought process are carefully thought out and clearly evident through his passion for understanding each patient’s recovery process and his dedication to advocating for the best for his heart patients. As evidenced by this particular case, Zach worked tirelessly and nonstop advocating for his patient. This particular open-heart patient had shown many signs of complications upon arrival. With urgency, Zach was consistently contacting the physician assistants and surgeons to ensure that this patient would not crash. Zach advocated for all possible interventions to be on standby, communicating with his charge nurse to have crash carts, open-chest equipment, and ECMO on standby should it be deemed appropriate for the patient. He even communicated to the care team that the family was waiting patiently outside and advocated that one of the members of the CT Surgery team should update the patient’s wife, while she was still here, and while the care team was at the bedside.
Zach’s dedication was clear and advocated nothing but the best outcome for his patient, and even took time with his critical patient to make sure that the family was made aware of the patient’s care. Aside from being one heck of a driven nurse, he is an outstanding supporter of the team. Zach advocates for his fellow co-workers and fights to ensure that his patients and everyone else in the unit receive the best care possible. Zach Cooper, RN, carries the “heart” (pun intended) of how each patient on the unit should be treated.
I’ve had the privilege to be trained and work alongside Zach for a measly 2 years. However, in that short time frame, I’ve watched him work effectively and with such dedication managing these open-heart patients. His skill and thought process are carefully thought out and clearly evident through his passion for understanding each patient’s recovery process and his dedication to advocating for the best for his heart patients. As evidenced by this particular case, Zach worked tirelessly and nonstop advocating for his patient. This particular open-heart patient had shown many signs of complications upon arrival. With urgency, Zach was consistently contacting the physician assistants and surgeons to ensure that this patient would not crash. Zach advocated for all possible interventions to be on standby, communicating with his charge nurse to have crash carts, open-chest equipment, and ECMO on standby should it be deemed appropriate for the patient. He even communicated to the care team that the family was waiting patiently outside and advocated that one of the members of the CT Surgery team should update the patient’s wife, while she was still here, and while the care team was at the bedside.
Zach’s dedication was clear and advocated nothing but the best outcome for his patient, and even took time with his critical patient to make sure that the family was made aware of the patient’s care. Aside from being one heck of a driven nurse, he is an outstanding supporter of the team. Zach advocates for his fellow co-workers and fights to ensure that his patients and everyone else in the unit receive the best care possible. Zach Cooper, RN, carries the “heart” (pun intended) of how each patient on the unit should be treated.