Intensive Care Interventional Radiology

[emb92250]

I'm looking into travel positions from Cross Country's web site in North Carolina. They have a position listed for Durham, NC for an Intensive Care Interventional Radiology nurse. Does anyone know what this means? Is it the same as an IR nurse? What all does this job entail?

I would like to get a job in this area. I have two years of ICU experience but there are no ICU positions available right now. I thought this might be a good secondary fit.

Thanks in advanced,

-Erin

[NedRN]

I think you are exactly right, it is most likely a cath lab nurse. I googled it and most of the hits were Cross Country job postings so they have made it a job title of their own I think.

While an ICU background is entry level for the cath lab (CVICU is perhaps the best qualification), I'm reasonably sure that no one will hire you for a travel position without prior cath lab experience. It is best to get a staff job if you are interested.

[emb92250]

I don't think it's a cath lab position because Cross Country specifically labels those positions as "Cath Lab." Also, a fellow traveler was offered that position without prior experience, but he didn't look into it or accept it.

My idea of what it is is an IR nurse but with ICU experience to manage the drips and conscious sedation of the ICU patient.

[NedRN]

Which is also part of the IR job description.

[emb92250]

Which is WHY I'm asking my question. Does anyone know FOR SURE what this job entails. I can guess at it. I don't want people to guess. I want to know if someone has experience with this job title, so I can know for sure what the job entails.

[NedRN]

If you want a definitive answer, calling CC for their job description is best since it is clearly their jargon. I would venture a good guess that the cath lab postings are for traditional heart caths and interventions, and IR is no hearts.

[wanderlust99]

The only way you will know is if you interview and speak to the unit's nurse manager. I've applied to some of these positions before via cross country, some are true IR positions and won't take you even though they post for ICU experience, others are more conscious sedation type of gigs, others are IR but willing to train. It really depends on the specific unit, so we won't know unless we've worked there. I would definitely submit and give a shot though.

[emb92250]

Thanks, your explaination is very helpful, flexiseal. Have you worked in IR before as a traveler? Is it essentially patient monitoring and transport?

[NedRN]

I've worked in IR, and no, it requires OR type experience and sterile technique (although most have cringe-worthy technique in the eyes of an OR nurse). Otherwise they could also recruit GI lab nurses or in fact any nurse with sedation experience and it would not pay as well as it does. No doubt you can also google a fuller job description to see if you would enjoy such work, but just as a heads up, you will be wearing lead for radiation protection almost your entire shift, and ideally, leaded glasses. In most IR workplaces, you also need OR attire with scrubs, mask and a hair cover.

If you want to work regularly in a cath lab, you need staff experience. You might get lucky with just a sedation role once at someplace that is really desperate., but working steady? IR is growing rapidly, but having just IR experience and no heart caths will still limit your potential assignments. If you get the appropriate training, cath lab can be the highest paying specialty for travelers, but it is not a walk in a park.

A cath lab nurse (who was previously a CVICU nurse recovering fresh open hearts) once described it to me as ICU on steroids! With heart interventions, it can be like constant ACLS interventions. IR is more sedate for sure (I find it boring in fact), although AAA and neuro (cutting edge stuff) can certainly be stressful for different reasons than hearts. Those last two will usually require anesthesia coverage so the focus will be just on the procedure.