New cardiac nurse--advice?

queenjulie, RN · Jun 11, 2012

On another note: I'm a new grad RN in Cardiovascular ICU. I know exactly how you are feeling. I don't have much advice yet because I'm new but I wanted to let you know that you are not alone.
Every day I'm learning something new and now I'm finally being able to see the dots connect.
It will take time for us to really feel competent. I always ask questions, even when I think it is stupid. No question is stupid except the one that is not asked.

Thank you! It's nice to know I'm not the only one. :) I'm excited about how much I'm going to be learning, although I imagine it's going to be overwhelming at first. I'm glad you're starting to see how everything fits together--I can't wait to get to that point!

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2012

Ah, now I know why I haven't heard of the sheath removal--our cath lab uses Mynx closures almost exclusively. I've seen at least a dozen patients after their cardiac caths, but none of them had the old-fashioned closure; they all had a Mynx done.

so im a new cardiac nurse also,... &&&& i JUST learned about mynx closures when i did the job shadowing for this position. sick or what? i feel like they shouldve maybe skimmed over it in school? lol.

Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2012

I am a new nurse in a Cardiac Progressive Care unit (step-down unit) with only a few days left in orientation. One thing I had to brush up on was chest tubes. I didn't really have much exposure in nursing school. What they are supposed to look like? how to tell if there is an air leak? What does it mean if they have an air leak when talking vs when coughing etc.

For cardiac caths my facility uses angioseal, but sometimes closure devices are not able to be used for whatever reason. Sometimes they come to our floor with the sheath still in. Other times the cath lab pulls the sheath, and in that case we do a happy dance :) Good Luck to you!

queenjulie, RN · Jun 15, 2012

i JUST learned about mynx closures when i did the job shadowing for this position. sick or what? i feel like they shouldve maybe skimmed over it in school?

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We never covered them in school either. In fact, we only barely mentioned cardiac catheterizations at all. The only reason I know about them is because I was assigned to the Step-Down unit for clinicals (where I'm now going to be working, yay!), and so I saw a lot of patients coming back from caths, and I got to go down with them and observe caths three or four times, which was awesome.

queenjulie, RN · Jun 15, 2012

One thing I had to brush up on was chest tubes. I didn't really have much exposure in nursing school. What they are supposed to look like? how to tell if there is an air leak? What does it mean if they have an air leak when talking vs when coughing etc.

I'm embarrassed to say that I have never once had a patient with a chest tube. Not a single time. I know virtually nothing about them--that is definitely going to be a learning experience. Our step-down unit very rarely gets chest tubes, though; they generally stay in ICU until the tube comes out, I think.

GinaCat · Jun 17, 2012

when it comes to chest tubes- I'd say just wait until you are oriented! there are wet systems and dry systems, and if your orientation is good they will review the particular model they use. but the principles are the same as what you find in your textbooks. i didn't have a grip on them until someone had one in front of me and pointed it all out. they all have different indicator floaties and things lol.

RNmilwife · Jun 26, 2012

I want to add to cardiacrocks and also say if your patient starts to say "I don't feel right" Listen. Sometimes its hard to assess that because they can't tell you exactly what they are feeling but if they say that they need very close monitoring and probing

donnathompson · Feb 10, 2014

I love Cardiology. I was a new grad in the summer of 2008 and went to work on a very busy cardiology floor. We like to call the floor "the beast". I LOVED working on this unit. It was hard, but a great training ground for what I am doing now and that is working for the very cardiologists that did all of our interventions on the unit. I started as a New Grad, and within one year became the Shift leader, charge nurse on the unit. I loved the transition and being an older graduate helped me with life experience and the issues that families dealt with, patients lived with and nurses had to face on a day to day basis. I am curious since it has been two years now since you posted this, how do you like cardiology? Are you still in the same position? This post is a requirement of the MSN program that I am currently in, but I am curious as to how you have done since you became a nurse.

Looking forward to hearing your response,

Blessings,

Donna

sawice · Aug 28, 2014

Hi everyone. Reading these comments has been helpful for me since I now find myself in a similar position. I will be a new grad on a Cardiovascular step-down unit starting Sept 8th. I am going to be reviewing ECGs each day until I start and based on prior posts, will be watching youtube vids on chest tubes and cardiac caths. Would someone be willing to provide me a list of meds you commonly see so that I can brush up on those prior to starting? Any other tips not previously mentioned are also welcome!!

Thank you all so much!

michlynn, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2014

The unit I work on is strictly cardiac/tele so we see all of the MI's, chest pains, arrythmias, pacemakers, etc. and I love it. The meds I work with most often are cardizem, amiodarone, lidocaine, dobutamine, dopamine, epi, atropine, adenosine, heparin, integrelin, and nitro. Our cath lab typically uses some sort of closure device post cath (mynx, quick clot, star close) but occasionally we'll get a sheath we have to pull. Our floor doesn't require 2 nurses in the room but we spend a week in the cath lab practicing pulling them.

sawice · Sep 1, 2014

Thanks so much, michlynn!