Pediatric Cardiology-is there such a thing for nurses?

Specialties Cardiac

Published

I am currently a pre-nursing student and I am curious about getting in cardiology someday because my Dad had a pacemaker put in on my 16th birthday (I'm 20 now) and it really shook me because I love my Dad and it will be the worst day of my life when he or my fiance dies (=-( It was an emergency surgery because if he had had another arrythmeia (I think that is what it was-irregular, fast hearbeat?) he probably would have died. I have also been interesting in working with children or infants for a long time now, is there such a thing as someday doing just pediatric cardiology? I know I would probably need a masters or something, but I've always wanted my masters someday.

What made you go into cardiology nursing?

-Thanks for the info and advice beforehand,

Megan

Kansas

Go Jayhawks!

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Sure you can focus on peds cardiology ... But you will probably need to work for either a children's hospital or a university medical center with a large pediatric division. Most hospitals do not care for patients needing the pediatric sub-specialties -- even if they offer general peds care. They send those patients to the pediatric specialty hospitals.

I work for a children's hospital that sees a fair number of peds cardiology patients. There is not a floor with ONLY them on it, but the peds cardiology service occupies about 25% of one of our largest med/surg floors. They also represent a significant % of our PICU population ... and of course there is the cath lab, EKG service, and peds cardiology outpatient clinic.

llg

Specializes in forensic psych, corrections.

I would love to work pedi cardiology. Would do that in a millisecond if the opportunity were available to me. I'll stay on my regular pedi floor until something opens up in PICU (why don't those nurses ever leave? :angryfire).

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
I am currently a pre-nursing student and I am curious about getting in cardiology someday because my Dad had a pacemaker put in on my 16th birthday (I'm 20 now) and it really shook me because I love my Dad and it will be the worst day of my life when he or my fiance dies (=-( It was an emergency surgery because if he had had another arrythmeia (I think that is what it was-irregular, fast hearbeat?) he probably would have died. I have also been interesting in working with children or infants for a long time now, is there such a thing as someday doing just pediatric cardiology? I know I would probably need a masters or something, but I've always wanted my masters someday.

What made you go into cardiology nursing?

-Thanks for the info and advice beforehand,

Megan

Kansas

I am a NICU nurse, and have had the opportunity to care for infants born with heart defects. It is a fascinating area of nursing, and exists practically in your own backyard. Children's Mercy Hospital in KC is home to a very active pediatric cardiology practice. Check it out!

Go Jayhawks!

Good luck!

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