Cardiac Nurses From Two Sites Train as One

Finishing each other’s sentences and working together seamlessly in the Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Madeline Burtis, RN, and Sara Fiser, RN, could almost be mistaken for sisters.

But instead, they are a living, practical example of the Mount Sinai Health System’s collaborative spirit. Their work is part of an innovative program in which nurses from Mount Sinai South Nassau complete 12-week rotations in the cardiac surgical ICU at The Mount Sinai Hospital. The hands-on experience prepares them to care for patients recovering from cardiac surgery as Mount Sinai South Nassau launches its own cardiac surgery program in 2026.

“These are two teams of nurses from very different hospitals and geographic areas coming together to work as one for the needs of our patients, our families, and the community,” says Kathleen Mann-Finnerty, MBA, MHA, BSN, NEA-BC, RN, Senior Director of Nursing Mount Sinai South Nassau.

The Challenge: Preparing for a New Cardiac ICU

The goal of this transformation at Mount Sinai South Nassau is to ensure that residents of Long Island’s South Shore can receive advanced cardiac care close to home. The hospital already provides diagnostic and interventional cardiology and will integrate new cardiac surgery services at the standards set by world-renowned Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital.

“It’s been inspiring to watch nurses from both hospitals come together with such commitment to learning and excellence,” says Ms. Mann-Finnerty, who created the program with Ellen Hughes, BSN, RN, MA, nursing consultant, and Lindsay Condrat, DNP, ACNP-BC, RN, Senior Director of Nursing, Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “This initiative has created a sense of unity and shared purpose across locations, demonstrating how much can be learned from one another to elevate patient care across the Health System.”

The Solution:  Nurses learning from each other

The curriculum combines classroom instruction with clinical training, instructing nurses in precise, specific protocols and the use of advanced technologies, including intra-aortic balloon pumps and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation—heart and lung support. In addition to performing these technical duties, the nurses are a compassionate lifeline to their vulnerable patients after surgery. “We're the ones who wake them up, take the breathing tube out, get them out of bed, get them walking, and make sure they have everything they need,” Ms. Fiser says.

Training began in June 2025 with the first cohort and continued through early November with a second cohort of nurses, including Ms. Burtis and Ms. Fiser. A third cohort began in the first quarter of 2026.

For Ms. Burtis, the experience was both challenging and rewarding. For the length of the training, she traveled at least an hour from her home in Long Island to work side-by-side with Ms. Fiser for three 12-hour shifts a week. “Everyone at Mount Sinai was so welcoming,” Ms. Burtis says. “It was intimidating at first to start at a new hospital and learn a whole new set of skills, but Sara was incredibly patient and made me feel comfortable.” Ms. Fiser also found the training rewarding. “I think being a preceptor, you're teaching, but you're also learning just as much,” she says.  

As cardiac surgery services begin in the new Feil Family Pavilion at Mount Sinai South Nassau, “our nurses will be ready to deliver the highest level of care,” Ms. Mann-Finnerty says. “For our patients and their families, having access to the same expertise and safety standards that define the Fuster Heart Hospital, right here on the South Shore, will make a lasting difference.”

We are Mount Sinai, teaming up to advance the care of cardiac patients.