Cath Lab RN Interview

Specialties Cardiac

Published

Hello, I am seeking advice for my interview in the Cardiac Cath Lab. I have two years experience as a tele nurse; patient ratio 6:1 and the floor was more of a stepdown unit than a tele unit. I am wondering what type of questions I should have for the cath lab; what should I be looking for in this employer? And what type of questions should I be prepared for? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in Cath Lab/ ICU.

You would nt be qualified to work in my Cath lab.

Our nurses require critical care experience.You have to be comfortable mixing drugs, running the IABP, pacing, running multiple drips, etc,....all alone at 2am. If your hospital does not have an open heart program, then you may have to transport your STEMI urgently in the ambulance. Or if the ICU is full, you may have to stay and care for them as well. I'm sure many ccl nurses have never had to do these thing, but I have, many times. I would not hire a tele nurse into the lab and have never worked for a lab that would either...

All that being said, I'd ask what roles the RN participates in. Will you learn to scrub? monitor? What does the job of circulator entail? Or will you just give conscious sedation (sounds like it if no critical care experience is required) Is the call team only 3 members?

Ask about call requirements. Call back pay, pager pay...educational requirements. The trend now is for everyone to be certified. I saw plenty of jobs require CCRN.

If your floor had a 6:1 ratio, then it was not a stepdown, btw. It's important to make that distinction. When I participated in interviews for our ICU, we heard many tele nurses say this...it was always a red flag for us. A true step down is 3:1 ratio. Tele is 4:1.

If your typical assignment is 6:1, then you may be overwhelmed by the complexity of a 2am STEMI patient. If your call team is made up of 3, then you are left to circulate AND care for this critical patient. There are days when I feel my 5 years of intensive ICU experience wasn't enough.

If your lab is like most I've seen, then you could be setting yourself up for failure.

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Specializes in Neurosciences, cardiac, critical care.

Yeah I'm with CCL RN- our cath lab requires at least 6 mos in CVICU and prefers 1-2 years of experience. But congratulations on getting the interview, how'd it go?

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I have a phone interview for the cath lab today. I have a unique blend of experience and skill set. I am a Paramedic and an RN. I have been an RN since January of 12, and have been a Paramedic for 5 years. I have CPR, ACLS, PALS, and various other Instructor certifications, and I help teach at a community college where we teach ACLS 3-4 times a year, and also am in charge of continuing education at the EMS department where I work part time. I work in the ER part time, and I currently work as an RN in the Remote Medical Setting. I understand sterile technique ( at my present job as a Remote Medical Specialist I do sutures fairly often), and have a very good grasp of cardiology and cardiac anatomy.

I know I will be walking in with a lot to learn, and I understand it is going to be a steep learning curve for me. I just want to know exactly what to expect. Am I going to be resented for having my ACLS Instructor under my belt? Codes are nothing new to me, and although no code is the same, I am very confident in my abilities to handle a code whenever one will happen. I just would like some guidance and input on what to expect.

Matt

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I have a phone interview for the cath lab today. I have a unique blend of experience and skill set. I am a Paramedic and an RN. I have been an RN since January of 12, and have been a Paramedic for 5 years. I have CPR, ACLS, PALS, and various other Instructor certifications, and I help teach at a community college where we teach ACLS 3-4 times a year, and also am in charge of continuing education at the EMS department where I work part time. I work in the ER part time, and I currently work as an RN in the Remote Medical Setting. I understand sterile technique ( at my present job as a Remote Medical Specialist I do sutures fairly often), and have a very good grasp of cardiology and cardiac anatomy.

I know I will be walking in with a lot to learn, and I understand it is going to be a steep learning curve for me. I just want to know exactly what to expect. Am I going to be resented for having my ACLS Instructor under my belt? Codes are nothing new to me, and although no code is the same, I am very confident in my abilities to handle a code whenever one will happen. I just would like some guidance and input on what to expect.

Matt

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