Is cath lab considered critical care?

prmenrs, RN · Feb 25, 2009

I'm sure not in a position to give you a definitive answer, but I think it would serve you better if you saw the pt "along the continuum"--by that I mean post-op care. Which would probably take place in an ICU.

Someone will probably be along shortly to give you a much better answer!

GilaRRT · Feb 25, 2009

Cath Lab is absolutely critical care.

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2009

I agree, it is critical care because you're dealing with someone who probably just had an MI and is in ICU already...

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2009

I would have to say that yes the cath lab is critical care. You are dealing with a pt from the ER/ICU/floor who needs immediate cardiac intervention. Then they most likely go to an ICU bed afterwards.

Quaffetti · Feb 25, 2009

If you mean would it be considered critical care experience, I would think no. At our hospital it is a procedural place. Pts are not held there, the procedure is done and then they are transferred immediately to the floor either to cardiac tele or icu, depending on how big their hit was.

Our cath lab hires people without ICU experience and many of the procedures they do are on people not having MI's. They may have had a positive stress test, or the docs cannot figure out what's going on so they cath them. Although there are also a good number that come through the ED as STEMI's as well.

So I think the experience is intense and all, and requires a high degree of specialty, I don't think you could go from working in the cath lab to working in ICU without a lot of additional training.

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2009

So I think the experience is intense and all, and requires a high degree of specialty, I don't think you could go from working in the cath lab to working in ICU without a lot of additional training.

I tend to agree. I think the general rule of thumb is "unless you work in a CCU, you're not CCU".

If Cath Lab can be considered "Critical Care", then so can the "ED" (how many Cath Lab folks manage ICU pts. when there is no room in the ICU?)

cheers,

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 25, 2009

it is in our facility. The same Director is over ICU.

widi96 · Feb 25, 2009

I work on a tele floor and we send pts for Diagnostic Cardiac Caths all the time, then they come back up to us. Just diagnostic, no known MI, etc. And they definitely don't need the ICU (some of them - the cath not being the criteria for the ICU bed)

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2009

Some only go for diagnostic caths, but many do not. We have a cath lab in our CICU for those that need immediate intervention and an ICU bed afterwards. It is staffed with a CICU nurse.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2009

Yes, it is critical care.

otessa

kellykelly · Feb 25, 2009

It might depend on the hospital. Where I work, it is listed as "critical care" when you look at job apps. They certainly tend to critical patients, flown in from outlying areas for emergency caths, as well as stable patients in for basically routine angiograms. Post-cath patients where I work very, very rarely go to ICU, MI or not. Basically they have to be vented, have a balloon pump, or be on one of the few drips not allowed on our floor to go to the ICU. My floor is a tele floor but it's considered "critical care" as far as my hospital goes--it's considered a "cardiovascular interventional unit", as opposed to the "cardiovascular stepdown unit" on the other end. Both are listed as critical care under the job apps, along with the ICUs. I realize every place is different.