Perfusionists

I just started in Thoracic ICU, and we do recovery on all the open heart patients. I have been reading about the bypass machine, and I am wondering...

Is anyone here in perfusionist school, or considering it? What's it all about? Everyone seems to be so enamoured with CRNA school!!!

I considered it, but reconsidered. With more and more cases being done off the pump now, perfusionists are more and more in surplus, rather than demand. Their salaries have taken a big hit recently, at least here locally. The average perfusionist (that does not work tons of OT) doesn't really make much more than the average RN working agency.

Perfusionists run the pump in open heart cases and, in some places, they run ECMO and autotransfusion (although specially-trained RNs can run the latter two devices - hospitals obviously prefer this b/c they don't have to hire extra perfusionists).

Folks are enamoured with CRNA school, because CRNAs demand a 6-figure income. They are the first nursing specialty to average 6-figures (and still are the only specialty where this is the norm and not the exception). Perfusionists used to average about 80K, now they are down to about 50-55K (according to the director of one of the perfusionist programs).

Oh wow, this is good to know!! The latest info that I have is still listing it as a "rapid-growth" area and has the 80k salary. Good to know that RN's are being trained to do bypass machine work. That whole subject still just blows my mind..it's a wonder ANYONE lives through having a bunch of holes being poked in your heart and your entire body chemistry completely altered !

As long as Johnson & Johnson keep marketing sirolimus coated stents, perfusionists will be going the way of the dinosaur.