A few questions about the speciality of cardiac nursing

smokinkaterpillar · Oct 21, 2004

Benefits--not really sure what you are looking for here---usually requires additional education in reading telemetry monitors and strips and even learning how to do and read EKGs.

Disadvantages--high burnout due to stress level--it's considered a critical care area by most hospitals

Current job market--I'm in the midwest in a city with 4 major nursing schools so the demand for nurses isn't quite as high here but almost all of our hospitals have openings for cardiac nurses.

Hope this helps! Good luck on the paper.

I am a nursing student working on a paper about nursing specialities. My paper is about nephrology nursing, but I must compare to another speciality and chose cardiac care. I am having trouble finding information on the web, so if anyone is willing to answer a few questions, it would be greatly appreciated!
1) What are the benefits of being a cardiac nurse?
2) What are the disadvantages, if any, to being a cardiac nurse?
3) How is the current job market in this area?

TanyaS · Oct 21, 2004

Thanks so much for responding- I was starting to think nobody would ever answer these questions. In the first question about benefits, I guess I was going for what you like about being a cardiac nurse. This does help, thanks again-- Tanya:)

Benefits--not really sure what you are looking for here---usually requires additional education in reading telemetry monitors and strips and even learning how to do and read EKGs.
Disadvantages--high burnout due to stress level--it's considered a critical care area by most hospitals
Current job market--I'm in the midwest in a city with 4 major nursing schools so the demand for nurses isn't quite as high here but almost all of our hospitals have openings for cardiac nurses.
Hope this helps! Good luck on the paper.

MQ Edna · Oct 29, 2004

I work telemetry and I'm "telly dependent" :) Unless my patient is in PEA, at least I know they're alive. I never liked cardiac until I'd been doing it a year or so and now I love it. You can really make a difference and it's an ever evolving challenge.

The downside? ER docs who admit EVERYONE to telly to r/o mi (strep throat r/o MI), just leads to bed shortages, bad attitudes and burn out.

pricklypear · Oct 29, 2004

Try searching "cardiac nursing," there's tons of stuff. Also try the AACN website for info

http://www.aacn.org

luvin it · Oct 30, 2004

your paper is probably written and being graded by now. but, fyi. Nephro nurses usually initate and monitor dialysis. They access ready ports or fistulas, set the pull on the machine and monitor x3 hrs. BORING!!!! Cardiac nurses are specialized in obviouslly the heart, it's rhytm, output of blood flow affecting the pts stablitity. Output effects the mainly resp system and kidney function. Advantage once you master the skills you can do any other area of speciality. I admit that you have to THINK alot while you work. But every dx process involves cardiac function and visa-versa. Disadvatage it's not easy, it's not cut and dry. It requires crtical thinking. I have foud the job market great. Facilities smile alot at us and offer bonus to sign-on.

Do we still clean poop? yes, are things always cheerful and easy. NO. But as you see I am LUVIN IT. I know that was alot of blah..blah..blah.. please let me know ifi can answer any specific questions

TanyaS · Oct 30, 2004

Thanks to everyone who was willing to help me out on this. The paper is done and I got 100%!!! Tanya