Cardiac Cath Lab

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by jfpruitt
Dec 16, '02   Views: 4,018   Comments: 9

  1. Anyone here work in a cardiac cath lab? What are your responsibilities?
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    About jfpruitt

    Joined: Aug '01; Posts: 214; Likes: 1

    9 Comments

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  3. by baseline
    Dec 16, '02
    Joined: Sep '02; Posts: 2,066; Likes: 12
    Last edit by baseline on Apr 23, '03
  4. by NurseGirlKaren
    Dec 27, '02
    Joined: Jun '02; Posts: 311; Likes: 3
    Me! I have been there for 1 1/2 yrs and love it. We do all the preprocedure, recovery, and intraprocedure care. During the procedure it's just us and the doc and tech in the room (tech scrubs and pans), so we do the monitoring and the meds.

    What else do you want to know?
  5. by baseline
    Dec 27, '02
    Joined: Sep '02; Posts: 2,066; Likes: 12
    Last edit by baseline on Apr 23, '03
  6. by arkgolfer
    Jan 6, '03
    Occupation: CRNA Joined: Dec '02; Posts: 75
    I worked in one for about 4 years. Bar none the best nursing job in our hospital. I only left to prepare better for anesthesia school.
  7. by RNCENCCRNNREMTP
    Apr 21, '03
    Occupation: ACNP, RN, Paramedic Specialty: 30 year(s) of experience in Emergency Nursing Advanced Practice ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '03; Posts: 257; Likes: 58
    Patient prep (pre room and on table)
    Sedation
    Monitoring (EKG and Pressures)
    Calculate CO
    Calculate valve area
    Calculate shunt
    Defib
    Pace
    Resuscitate
    Assist with IABP placement and use
    Scrub in and assist with cath
    Post procedure monitoring
    Sheath removal and sheath site care
    Patient education
    Transport
  8. by CCL"Babe"
    Apr 23, '03
    Joined: Feb '03; Posts: 309; Likes: 33
    Left ER for Cath Lab 6 years ago. Absolutely my favorite job.
    Our lab is an interventional lab. We also do a fair amount of research, which can be a pain at times.

    RNs rotate between several jobs, these include;

    Prep and recover patients.
    EP studies, cardioversions, TEE, dobutamine stress assists.
    Assist with evaluations of AICDs. Pacer implantations and tilt table procedures.
    Scrub in and assist with caths and interventions, rotablators, stents, angiojets, IVUS, etc.
    Monitor cases.
    Circulate cases.
    Administer conscious sedation.
    Assist with IABP insertions.
    Emergency interventions, temp pacer insertions.
  9. by CCL"Babe"
    Apr 23, '03
    Joined: Feb '03; Posts: 309; Likes: 33
    I forgot, we also do peripheral studies and interventions.
  10. by JoL
    Jun 15, '03
    Occupation: FOUNDATION DEGREE STUDENT Joined: Jun '03; Posts: 5
    I work in a Cath Lab in Middlesbrough and enjoy it the work is varied I was a Health Care Assistant. I am now undertaking a Foundation Degree at the University of Teesside and are a Foundation Degree Student I scurb for LHC and PCI assisted at the moment I also perform E.C.G,s and have basic E.C.G recognition, aterial sheath removal, pt observations, circulate cases, patient education and lots of other duties to many to mention. Love it
  11. by Taryn
    Jun 22, '03
    Joined: Feb '03; Posts: 13
    Another cath lab nurse here...currently working as a traveler.
    Have worked in a few different labs over the years.
    Some places have the nurses monitor,circulate and scrub.
    Some only circulate.
    The place I am now allows me to do all of the above.
    I just started working in this lab and they seem to be really short on scrub people so it looks like that may be most of what I do for the next 12 weeks.

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