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Hough becomes SC's first certified transplant nurse by Heather Woolwine Public Relations It wasn’t that Cindy Hough, R.N., didn’t have enough to do. As a member of the MUSC transplant team and as the Nurse Alliance chair, her plate carried more than one helping.   Becoming the first certified transplant nurse in South Carolina meant adding dessert to that plate.   “When you’re talking about transplant patients, a lot of the typical procedures go out the door because of their immuno-surpressed status,” Hough said. “Transplant patients represent a unique challenge in relation to other medical/surgical units.”   The American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC) granted Hough’s certification a couple of months ago after she passed the exam. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1988, ABTC’s awards the Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) credential to qualified bedside nurses responsible for the care of transplant patients.    According to its Web  site, ABTC seeks to promote the highest standard for transplant professionals, thus attesting to an individual’s standard of competency and knowledge and skills needed to provide quality care for transplant donors and recipients.  Transplant nurse candidates may have experience with only one organ, but are expected to be aware of other organ transplantation practices and should have basic understanding of principles related to both adult and pediatric recipients.   Since beginning this particular certification in 2003, ABTC certified less than 300 nurses nationwide.   When her term as nurse alliance chair concludes, Hough will move into the unit educator slot for the transplant team and is looking forward to sharing her improved and refreshed knowledge.   “I felt that I had the liver, kidney and pancreas down because that’s what we do here, and knew that I would have more to learn about heart and lung transplants, for example,” she said, “but I didn’t realize how nice it was going to be to verify all the things ‘we know’ and be able to provide a scientific or evidence-based rationale to back those things up. It was great to solidify the anecdotal, clinical, and scientific aspects into one thought and educational process.”   For South Carolina, Hough believes the addition of certified transplant nurses translates into better patient care, because of the opportunity to influence green nurses.   “I can explain the reason why transplant patients manifest in certain ways with scientific rationale and evidence, not just ‘well, that’s the way we’ve always done it’ or ‘that’s just the way things are.’”   Hough encouraged other transplant nurses at MUSC to pursue certification and remains excited about the whole process. “Having been through it, I can help break it down and support other nurses by aiding them in looking for resources, figuring out what to focus on, and then applying it to the literature. It’s all about learning the why of what we do in transplant, and once you know the why, it stays ingrained in your mind when you’re caring for patients,” she said.      “Cindy’s becoming South Carolina’s very first certified transplant nurse shows the national transplant community what MUSC’s Transplant Team has always known: we have an outstanding nurse, leader and person here at MUSC and all of us are extremely fortunate she is a part of our team,” said Jennifer Milton, R.N., 6E nurse manager.   “Cindy is an amazing nurse. She is a strong and vocal advocate for her patients as well as the nurse colleagues she represents,” said Laurie Zone-Smith, R.N., Clinical Services. “She exemplifies excellence in her practice every day with every patient she touches. Now her CCTN credential validates her strong knowledge of transplant nursing care and what we already know about Cindy, that she is  counted among our best nurses at MUSC.”   Hough began work on 6 East in 1997, and is the current charge nurse on that floor. She was recently awarded the South Carolina League of Nursing Award for Excellence for 2005, is a member of several committees and leadership councils, and conducts numerous projects on her floor and throughout the hospital.   Born in Charleston, Hough resides in Summerville with her husband, Wayne, and their children Jason, 7, and Justin, 6. Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.