Hospital has new director of cardiac, vascular services

Karen Lovett at work last summer in the CICU.

Karen Lovett, RN, MS, CCRN, CMC, is the new program director for cardiac and vascular services at the University of Colorado Hospital. Previously, she served as associate nurse manager of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).

"She has demonstrated excellent leadership abilities and has also developed positive working relationships with the staff, faculty and her peers," wrote Lorna Prutzman, RN, MSN, in announcing Lovett's appointment.

Prutzman, cardiac and vascular services executive director, said Lovett will have full management responsibility for the pre-post procedural holding area, the electrophysiology lab, interventional radiology and the cath and bronchoscopy labs. She also will assist with the hospital's clinical quality and patient safety initiatives, the expansion project and IT integrative strategies.

Lovett joined the hospital in 1996 as a clinical nurse in the cardiology/step-down unit, then went on to become a clinical nurse educator for the medical/surgical cardiology/telemetry unit and charge nurse for the CICU and medical intensive care unit.