What exactly is Clinical Cardiovascular Experience?

Specialties Cardiac

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I've been a med-surg/telemetry nurse for 7+ years. I want to apply for a Nurse Educator position that requires 3 years in clinical cardiology. Just trying to figure out if this qualifies me or if it would be inappropriate to apply. Thanks.

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I think it depends on what area you would be CNS for. If it is for MS/Tele type units then your current exp would probably be fine. If it is for the ms/tele units + cardiac stepdown then you may need additional experience.

My assumption would be direct experience with cardiac patients such as:

Stemi/Nstemi - post catheterization

Heart blocks / Transcutaneous pacing / new pacemater defib placements

EKG reading / interpretation

Syncope patients

Septic patients with hypotension

Rapid afib/aflutter on cardizem drip

Pulmonary embolus on heparin drip

Experience in codes!

Troubleshooting all of the above items with knowledge from experience / clinical know-how

Example from recent situation- Patient with new onset rapid afib (rate like 140s) and systolic Bp in 90. MD ordered cardizem ivp for rate control. Staff rn does not think cardizem ivp is safe considering systolic bp, collaborates with cns to reccomend something like digoxin ivp for rate control without risking bp.

I know that in our facility, the tele part of our MS/tele units seems to be more for institutional bragging rights than actually telemetry monitoring. Once a MS patient on tele starts to have telemetry issues (sinus tach, hypotension, increasing afib rate etc) they are sent to stepdown. I haven't fully seen

Full disclosure- I have only worked cardiac stepdown since november '14

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