Nurses' experience of an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygentation (ECMO) clinical support team during the COVID-19 pandemic: A service evaluation.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented stress on the National Health Service and critical care units including those with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) facility as this intervention had proved successful with H1N1 patients in 2009. To successfully care for the influx of ECMO patients, an ECMO clinical support team (ECST) formed by redeployed staff was created to assist critical care nurses.

Aim: This service evaluation aims to review the experience of critical care nursing staff working with an ECST during the period of increased provision of ECMO care.