Bridging critical care and technology: How MUSC’s Extracorporeal Science Program shapes tomorrow’s ECMO leaders

For Stephanie Beauvais, becoming an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) specialist was never part of a lifelong plan but rather the result of a journey that merged hands-on curiosity, critical care experience, and a passion for technology. Now a student in the Master of Science in Extracorporeal Science (ECS) program at MUSC, she’s using her background as a nurse to bridge clinical care and complex life support systems. The fully online, flexible program has not only deepened her expertise, but also empowered her to lead ECMO initiatives, educate interdisciplinary teams, and shape the future of patient care, all while staying at the bedside.

What led you to pursue a career in nursing and as an ECMO specialist? What do you enjoy most about your work?
I didn’t always want to be a nurse. I found myself gravitating towards more trades-oriented professions while exploring career options, as I tend to enjoy working with my hands and technology. I had always envisioned myself in a career as an electrician or a mechanic; When I got my first motorcycle, the very first thing I did was take it apart to see how it worked! My mother – who is a veteran cardiac [catheterization] lab nurse – was able to convince me to consider a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I hadn’t considered nursing but was enticed by a career that could provide flexibility across a variety of specialties and environments.

After graduating, I still wasn’t completely sure that nursing was right for me. Working in cardiology was exciting and rewarding, but it still just felt like something was missing. The pieces finally started to feel like they were falling into place when I was hired into a pediatric cardiac ICU a few years into my career. It was there that I was introduced to the world of mechanical circulatory support, and I was absolutely enthralled. Learning to combine my training as a registered nurse with the technical intricacies of ventricular assist device (VAD) and ECMO management in a critical care environment was absolutely terrifying…and I was hooked.

After a few years of bedside critical care nursing, I joined my hospital’s ECMO team. This move allowed me to undergo more in-depth training regarding the technical considerations of extracorporeal life support and patient management. Critically ill patients are complicated to begin with, but a patient on ECMO is oftentimes one of the most complex patients in the ICU, making expert teamwork imperative to their success. Being expertly and specifically trained to interpret the nuances of ECMO support as it pertains to a patient’s distinct pathophysiology allows me to integrate myself into their clinical team effectively and collaboratively.

With that being said, maintenance of my specialist training includes troubleshooting consideration and the associated psychomotor skills required to efficiently respond to life-or-death ECMO emergencies. The high-risk, technical, and complicated nature of extracorporeal life support makes it exactly the niche area I always hoped I would find myself in.

What motivated you to enroll in the MUSC MS in Extracorporeal Science (ECS) program? Why is specialized education in extracorporeal science important to your career goals?
Becoming a part of my hospital’s ECMO team allowed me to finally have the opportunity to work closely with cardiovascular perfusionists for the first time in my career. I was absolutely fascinated by extracorporeal life support, and a perfusionist graciously allowed me to shadow him in the operating room. It didn’t take me long to realize that he had my dream job. In fact… I realized that this was the career that I wanted to pursue before the surgeon had even applied the cross clamp!

I started researching options for perfusion programs, but the timing just never felt quite right. I was motivated to apply to schools but was finding it difficult to justify pausing my career, and inevitably my income, to fully focus on pursuing a graduate-level degree. When I discovered CHP’s Master of Science in Extracorporeal Science program, I knew right away that it was the right fit for me. Being able to complete coursework online and asynchronously has been the answer I had been hoping for. I’ve been able to continue my career as an ECMO specialist while working through this degree and not having to make any sacrifices to maintain the quality of either.

Although this program is not intended to prepare students for the cardiovascular perfusion board exam, there’s still an incredible amount of value for students wishing to advance their knowledge in extracorporeal science in general. Completing an MS in Extracorporeal Science proves beneficial for advancing the knowledge of health care professionals, such as registered nurses, ECMO specialists, and perfusionists abroad, but it could even prove useful in non-clinical roles, such as participating in research or education.

To use myself as an example, I’ve been building an ECMO program for a hospital, and the program content and support of MUSC’s faculty has instilled the advanced level of knowledge and confidence in me that I’ve needed in order to be successful in this role. I take care of patients clinically, but I also spend quite a bit of time providing didactic and simulation education for interdisciplinary teams, presenting ECMO-specific lectures for different physician specialties, and facilitating quality and safety initiatives for overall program improvement. All the above have been significantly enhanced by the education and support I’ve received through completing this MS in Extracorporeal Science so far.

What aspects of the program have been particularly valuable to you—whether course content, faculty support, or networking opportunities?
To begin with, the faculty are impressive and extremely friendly. Knowing that we are being taught by expert clinicians who are incredibly approachable has made this program not only enjoyable but significantly less intimidating as well. The instructors make completing a graduate-level degree from several states away considerably less stressful by clearly communicating expectations and being readily available to offer support to their students as needed.

Secondly, I personally find that when you’re still working while in school, you can’t expect that every day will be consistently productive when it comes to balancing your academic and professional responsibilities. On these days, where my capacity to sit and learn might be suboptimal, I’ve found that being able to return to lectures to rewatch content has been incredibly valuable – especially for the topics that I found to be a bit complicated. Being able to set my own pace for completing weekly lectures and assignments has facilitated a less stressful learning environment. When you find your groove, it’s quite efficient!

The program is fully online—how has that format supported your learning while balancing professional responsibilities?
I am working more than full-time while in this program, which did not seem to even remotely be an option for any of the other graduate-level programs I had researched over the past few years. The fully-online, asynchronous nature of this program’s content has allowed me the flexibility to maintain my career while meeting my educational goals – without having to sacrifice the quality of either. Aside from supporting my own ECMO program, which requires quite a bit of on-call time, my company also occasionally requires me to support several hospitals in a handful of different states, which inevitably requires some travelling. The lectures are released at regular intervals which allows me to view them whenever is convenient for me, even when I’m on the go. I’m able to complete lectures in my downtime on night shifts or as I travel, and, if needed, I can even pause a lecture to respond to a call. With enough motivation, the flexibility gives you the option to fit your lectures into your schedule whenever and wherever they work for you.

As a nurse and ECMO specialist, how has the ECS program enriched your understanding of your work environment?
Each lecture in every course has provided me with clinically relevant information that has been immediately applicable to my work as a registered nurse and ECMO specialist. I entered this program with a strong background in critical care: I have years of experience as well as several critical care courses and certifications under my belt, yet I still found myself learning an incredible amount about pathophysiology, hemodynamic monitoring, and the technology used in critical care – and this was all within just the first semester! Aside from strengthening my knowledge as a clinician in my current role, the course work has included new-to-me concepts regarding cardiovascular surgical techniques as well as the technological and procedural considerations that perfusionists utilize in the operating room. Although students in this program will not be sitting for the board exam after graduation, understanding the technicalities of the operating room processes gives me, as an ECMO specialist, a better understanding of how to recommend or provide individualized extracorporeal support to differing patient populations. The immediate usefulness of the course content has consistently made me a stronger clinician for my patients on a weekly basis.

What advice would you give to other ECMO specialists or nurses considering advanced education in extracorporeal science?
This program will give you exactly what you put into it. Although this degree is flexible, it does still require quite a bit of effort and coordination. It’ll make your life quite a bit busier, but it’s an incredibly valuable experience. If you’re passionate about extracorporeal science and are motivated to make the most out of your career, this is the program for you!