Cath Lab Staffing

[FerRN]

I am just curious, how many cath labs out there staff with one nurse and two techs? Do you feel safe?

[BeeGeeRN]

we staff EVERY case with 4 staff members. usually 2 RCIS (scrub & Monitor) and 2 RN's (circulate and "nurse"...they document, give meds etc). Sometimes RCIS circulates....which leaves one nurse in the room. Usually its ok, if its any urgent case or any on call case, it is always 2 nurses, 2 RCIS. All of our RCIS are acls certified so push comes to shove and a patient codes, they are able to push meds, able to do anything I can do. I feel safe with it this way.

Our cath lab does anywhere from 20-60 cases a day, so its usually on our coordinators to staff appropriately. During intense cases, they put an extra nurse in the case (so 3 nurses, 2 RCIS) to help with emergency meds and circulating, pacing etc.

[MunoRN, RN]

I've never known anything different than 2 techs and 1 RN. We will occasionally use 2 RN's in complex cases (patients requiring balloon pump placement or repeated resuscitative interventions).

Yes, I feel safe.

[dianah, ASN]

Nice to have a second RN available for backup if things go south (one person can only do so much!).

[Flyboy17]

On my end in Virginia, we have two nurses always for STEMIs. One is always the circulator and usually the Monitor. Our RTs are the scrubs for the Docs. During the day though when we have more staff we usually switch back and forth and move around. Scrubing is harder because the techs don't like giving control of the table. We are nursing unit that does the TEE/Cardioversions, Pre and Post OP, and after stenting follow ups.