[CathMarkRN]

Originally Posted by pookoo

Hi, Just wondering if anyone can enlighten me... I am a UK nurse hoping to relocate to the US asap. I have been a qualified RN for 6 years with the past 2.5 years working in a busy cardiac cath lab. Do cath lab nurses get paid more Or less than say a med/surg nurse?Or how does their pay compare to a ccu nurse? Its just that I have the opportunity of working in CCU until I relocate and I dont know what to do. I have a family so when i move to the states, I want to earn as much money as i can. Can anyone advise me please? thanks!

In my hospitak in NJ the pay is the same based on years of experience. Cath Lab nurses do make a lot extra for on call and call backs...

[abasel_99]

in the hospital where i work , the ccu nurses receive the critically ill cardiac clients , they perform basic care and hemodynamic monitoring ,, about the cath lab nurse , or let say procedural nurse as they assist MD in the PCI or diagnosis ,, then clients either return back to ccu or , if stable , go to step dowm unit , where nurses will concentrate on assessing , teaching and collaborating ,,,, hope u see that helpful

[pookoo]

Originally Posted by pookoo

Hi, Just wondering if anyone can enlighten me... I am a UK nurse hoping to relocate to the US asap. I have been a qualified RN for 6 years with the past 2.5 years working in a busy cardiac cath lab. Do cath lab nurses get paid more Or less than say a med/surg nurse?Or how does their pay compare to a ccu nurse? Its just that I have the opportunity of working in CCU until I relocate and I dont know what to do. I have a family so when i move to the states, I want to earn as much money as i can. Can anyone advise me please? thanks!

[ceann]

Pookoo- I was a cath lab nurse for 3 years and recently left. I made more money as a cath lab nurse due to the fact I worked more since I was called in a lot. I generally got a case bonus in addition to 1 1/2 overtime pay- minimum 2 hours. You might want to consider travel nursing in the cath lab since you have experience and the travel RNs I worked with made a lot more money than the rest of the staff. I did travel nursing as an ICU nurse, not a cath lab nurse. Also, go to a busy cath lab, that way you will get more call ins and there are always people who want to give up call.

For anyone considering cath lab, it can be intense- I loved it, but I ended up wanting a life since I was always called in. I agree with the above comments that you need ICU experience with a strong cardaic background and knowledge of hemodynamics. Cath lab patients, contrary to popular believe, can become critical at any given moment especially in disection of an artery or arrythmias. Also, when you get called in the middle of the night for an acute MI, they can be highly unstable. I always loved comments from ICU nurses on what a cruise job cath lab is- if they only had a clue!

[DEFIB64]

Hi
I Have Been A Cath Lab Rn For The Past 5 Years. I Am Really Interested In Becoming An Emergency Room Nurse. Does Anyone Have Any Helpful Hints For Me? Education Wise Or Any Study Material I Can Obtain Not To Look So Green Going To The Er?
Thank You,