EP lab information

[HoosierRN06]

Hello! I'm considering accepting a position in my hospital's EP lab. I have been a nurse for 10 years with experience in ER (currently), cardiac step down, and cardiac research. What do you like most/least about the EP lab? And anything else you would like to add to help me get a better feel for the job! Thank you so much!

[Skip219, BSN, RN]

Over the last sixteen years, I have worked in Cath/EP lab in various types of facilities. Typically, EP procedures are longer compared to many structural cardiac like stenting a coronary. A simple pacemaker can be done under a hour. But procedures such as atrial fib ablations may take 3-5 hrs. I have been in VT ablations that lasted 10 hrs. I prefer shorter and more exciting procedures like STEMIs. EP is more intellectual in my opinion. Hope this helps!

Skip

[HoosierRN06]

Thanks for your input! I'm a fairly low key person so maybe EP would be right up my alley : )

[EmilyP8589]

I've worked in an EP lab for about 2.5 years in a very high volume, advanced facility. It can be exceptionally rewarding but equally stressful. It's a very intense place to work as one moment you could be trucking along in an a fib ablation and 5 minutes later cracking the chest due to perforation and subsequent severe tamponade. ICU experience is a must, I would say as you need the critical thinking skills to know what to do when stuff hits the fan. Also, bear in mind that you're working with docs doing very intense work which can lead to a very intense demeanor and environment, especially when doing something like a high risk device extraction or Ischemic VT ablation. Just a few tidbits from me.

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

Id say ICU or cardiac stepdown experience is enough, especially if that unit deals with arrhythmias, pacer/ICD extractions etc.