Job duties of Cardiac Surgery ICU PCA

[awilliamsku]

I was just curious to know if anyone could tell me what job duties would be associated with a PCA working in a Cardiac Surgery ICU department? Thanks.

[NCRNMDM, ASN, RN]

It depends a great deal on where you work and what hospital policy says you are allowed to do. At one of our local facilities, and I only know a lot about it because my mom works in cardiac ICU there, there are PCAs and PCTs. PCAs are those who have their CNA I and PCTs are those who have their CNA II. It seems like there are more PCTs in cardiac ICU than there are PCAs. However, the PCAs that work there end up helping transfer patients, restocking supplies, taking vitals on stable patients who don't require advanced hemodynamic monitoring, doing CPR during codes on patient's whose chests are closed, applying cardiac monitor leads to the patient when they arrive from an OH (outside hospital) or from a surgical procedure, doing some of the EKGs, emptying foley bags, and assisting the nurses in any other way that they ask. On the flip side, PCTs end up doing finger sticks for blood glucose, putting in foley caths, assisting with dressing changes, hanging IV fluids (not IV medications of any kind), and doing things as needed by the nurses. It is definitely a very exciting and fast paced place to work, and you will learn a ton.