Cath Lab nurses!! Intro plz!

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, and Cathlab.

i am lately seeing so many threads related to the cath lab , which got me wondering that how many nurses out there work in the cathlab. the purpose of starting this thread is to introduce ourselves to each other and share our personal experiences with each other. take care everyone.

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Specializes in peds, peds ICU, OB, Cath Lab,home health.

Hi there, I've been a cath lab nurse for a long time, an RN for 30 years, and currently do mostly paperwork (ACC data collection), and fill in prn for the lab and hold area. I live in Florida. What is your responsibility in the labs? Nice to meet you!

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:redbeathe

I have been a cath lab nurse for 8 years. It's been a great job. So much has

changed for the better in this time.

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Specializes in RETIRED Cath Lab/Cardiology/Radiology.

I've been exclusively Cath Lab for about 4 1/2 yr,

an RN for 32 years,

21 years of that was Radiology/Cath Lab

plus 2 yr in two diff't cath labs in the early 80's.

Current position is in a teaching facility, so we have a Fellow (or a Fellowette ;)) or two for each case, plus the Attending.

We screen the pts (our choice, as we sometimes catch red flags before the pt gets in the room), set up the room/table, sedate/monitor (according to JCAHO standards), circulate and then transport the pt after the case.

Sometimes we scrub in as second operator.

Other duties include

* rotation into the Stress Lab (interview pts, monitor the treadmills, draw up and administer Adenosine or Dobutamine for chemical Stress Tests)

* sedate/monitor for TEEs

* occ. start IVs/administer Definity or bubbles for contrast studies

* rotate as Case Manager, following pts referred elsewhere for CABG or PCIs (ordering preop testing, sending reports of preop testing, etc)

Vascular has started using our second room for peripheral angios and interventions and IVC filter plcmts.

We only have one team, so can only use one room at a time. We hope to hire more ppl in the future (one word: bureaucracy!!).

Work with some good ppl, both nurses and MDs. :)

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Specializes in peds, peds ICU, OB, Cath Lab,home health.

Thank-you Marchantia for starting this thread. I agree with cathlabRN, things have gotten a LOT better over the years. The 1st lab I worked in was in Western Canada, and did I ever learn a lot. We didn't TOUCH films (radiology did that, in fact the cardiac radiologist did the EF from the films!) We did peds and neonates, and all "traces" were calculated by hand - no computers! I still remember our first angioplasties, and the fact that another local hospital beat us to being the first in western Canada to do it. Dianah, looks like you guys do just about EVERYTHING cardiac, and then some! I'm not too keen on the radiology special procedures - we have two labs and it only takes one tough peripheral case to tie up the whole department for hours... Anyone else out there remember the good (or bad) ole days?

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Specializes in RETIRED Cath Lab/Cardiology/Radiology.

Haha, Dutch, we DON'T do coronary angioplasties/stents yet!!

We need a good interventionalist (and FIRST, we need to offer an adequate salary!! :rolleyes: Over which, I might add, I have NO control, lol!)

And I agree: things have definitely changed for the better for the pts. I love all the closure devices, that decrease the pt's post-procedure down-time!

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Specializes in peds, peds ICU, OB, Cath Lab,home health.

Here's another little bit of cath lab history repeating itself- myself and another "old girl" listened to a new girl RANT for about 15 minutes about on-call, and being sent home when cases were done, and late nights, and add-on Fridays....blah, blah,blah, and threatened to leave etc. etc. etc. - we couldn't help but laugh because we all know that once cath lab is in your blood, you pretty much come back (try a week on a med-surg floor, that'll cure ya!) I've left the cath lab three times in the past 20 years - and here I am, still in a cath lab... Anyone else out there getting burned out for their first time? :devil:

P.S. Dianah - how do you get those quotes on the bottom of your post?

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
I've left the cath lab three times in the past 20 years - and here I am, still in a cath lab... Anyone else out there getting burned out for their first time? :devil:

Hi Dutchgirl! I don't work in the cath lab, although I've been asked to orient for PRN work. I work next to the cath lab in CT special procedures. I go to the cath lab to get my Lopressor, Versed, Sublamaze, etc...anyway...I just wanted to say Hi...I'm DutchgirlRN. I'm originally from Hilversum. I live in TN and have been a nurse for 32 years.

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Specializes in peds, peds ICU, OB, Cath Lab,home health.

Hey there DutchgirlRN - you must be the original Dutchgirl, I'm a pretend dutchgirl (small d) from Canada originally (my grandma had a brother nicknamed Dutch, and she always said to me "you're Dutch") so I always use it as my username. I did some CT specials work when I worked in DI, but I'm partial to cath lab. Never a dull moment (except for 4 hour peripherals...LOL):uhoh3: Just got back from vacation in TN - wish I could live there - hope to retire there if they ever let us nurses retire! Did you go there from Netherlands, or move around a bit?

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Hey there DutchgirlRN - you must be the original Dutchgirl, I'm a pretend dutchgirl (small d) from Canada originally (my grandma had a brother nicknamed Dutch, and she always said to me "you're Dutch") so I always use it as my username. I did some CT specials work when I worked in DI, but I'm partial to cath lab. Never a dull moment (except for 4 hour peripherals...LOL):uhoh3: Just got back from vacation in TN - wish I could live there - hope to retire there if they ever let us nurses retire! Did you go there from Netherlands, or move around a bit?

I'll PM you!

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I definitely remember the Bad ole days, dutchgirl. When we first started

angioplasty, you could count on v-fib showing up more than once in a case.

Complications were part of everyday life. Stents are wonderful, but it took

a while to get them perfected, that't for sure. And then, it took forever to

stop groin bleeding. You could barely chart when you got done because your hands were so stiff.

Things are better for everyone, staff and patients.

Life is good!

Now, we concentrate on door to balloon time.

How's everyone doing with that? Our average, off hours is 67 minutes. Keep up the good work everyone!

Cath lab nurses are awesome!

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Specializes in RETIRED Cath Lab/Cardiology/Radiology.

(Dutch: go to your profile area and amend your signature with whatever quote you want. As premium member, we only get four lines, though; platinum gets more, I believe. :))

I remember the old days of using high-osmolar, ionic contrast agents like Conray 60: can we say BRADYCARDIA with an RCA injection??? "COUGH!! COUGH!!!" :D :D

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