Cardiac Nursing Question

jmgrn65, RN · Jan 15, 2009

No cardiac is not considered critical care, but it critical thinking skills are important. If you really like cardiac then what is the harm in doing an externship. That would give you a better idea and some experience as well. GOod Luck

oreo84 · Jan 15, 2009

Thanks for your response!

My teacher told someone who wanted to do their preceptorship in the NICU that if they then decided that it wasn't what they wanted to do then they might be at a disadvantaged if they tried getting a job in say... med surg.. after graduation. Would you say the same would hold true if I picked cardiac nursing? Or would you say that the critical thinking skills that I would learn in cardiac nursing would benefit me if I did decide that I wanted to do med-surg post graduation? Would it be an easy transition if I changed my mind? This preceptorship is our last class and the last 6 weeks of school, so it would be really great if I could figure out what I wanted to do for sure so that I would already have the experience in what I wanted to do once I (hopefully) found a job in that area.

Thanks!

allnurses Guide · Jan 16, 2009

Working in a cardiac surgical unit will give you a great preparation for many areas - you get multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, COPD, hypertension etc. It's not critical care once on a stepdown type unit, although you will be able to get some skills with ECG monitoring etc.

getoverit, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 16, 2009

oreo84,

congratulations on almost finishing nursing school.

some people may disagree with me, but i don't think you (or your friend who is choosing NICU) will be at a disadvantage trying to get a job in a different area of nursing after graduation. if you choose cardiac nursing, then you may have an advantage trying to get a job in that field, but i don't see any employer holding you at a disadvantage based on which externship you chose during school.

the critical thinking skills are what you need to develop more so than any set of specific nursing specialties. because they will translate to all areas of nursing, whether it's cardiac, peds, oncology, trauma, etc. you need to develop routines and strategies to learn, retain, and apply them into your clinical practice. it's having these skills that makes any transition easier, and conversely, not having them makes it harder.

if you find the heart interesting (and i do too), then go for it. the stuff you'll see is fascinating and if you become interested in critical care then having a cardiac background will help if you decide to apply for CCU/CICU/CVICU.

good luck.

gradRN2007, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

I agree, I went to a cardiac step down unit after I passed my boards, I love cardiac but don't like ventilator (ICU), so IMCU was a perfect choice for me. Also a 3:1 ratio for IMCU and 4:1 for tele..so lucky to be where I am!

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

Our cardiac tele unit is considered critical care. As others have said, if you're interested in the cardiovascular system, then you will probably enjoy a clinical experience on a cardiac unit. Good luck!

al7139, ASN, RN · Jan 29, 2009

Hi there,

IMHO, you can't go wrong with cardiac. I have worked on my Tele/Med unit since graduating in 2007, and have been so very happy here. I hated cardiac in school until my first clinical on this unit, and got an interview and hired (pending graduation) before getting out of school. We have patients that range from R/O MI to STEMI with interventions to COPD, CHF, diabetes, and a myriad of medical issues like PE, DVT, Cancer, even Cystic Fibrosis patients, so it's never a dull moment. Our unit is really for "stable patients", but I can tell you that patients can become critical in a heartbeat (no pun intended), so I have had experience with codes and getting patients transferred to a higher level of care like PCU or ICU. I had a really good orientation, and a good team to work with so even though when I was a new grad, I never felt alone (and still don't). I find it so intersting and I am the kind of person who likes being constantly challenged, so it is the perfect fit for me, since I learn something new every time I work. My first few weeks were scary (even with a preceptor on orientation), but after getting through the first active chest pain, the first code, etc. I realized I have the knowledge and can do what's needed at the time. I would like to eventually go to ICU or ED/Trauma, and my cardiac experience will get me there.

Cardiac or Telemetry is not necessarily considered critical care, but you have to be aware that your patients could suddenly become critical due to the disease processes, so it is super important to be aware of all aspects of your patients from vitals to assessment to blood sugars, etc. Your goal is to prevent a critical situation if possible, and to manage it if it happens.

I love the experience I am getting here, and know it will only benefit me in the future.

Good luck!

Amy