Process of Cardiac Nrsg.....

You probably want to be proficient in reading EKGs as well as having ACLS certification.

Here's a good site to help you bone up. There are many others, some of which have been posted on this board if you do a search:

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http://www.skillstat.com/learn.htm

You probably want to be proficient in reading EKGs as well as having ACLS certification.

Here's a good site to help you bone up. There are many others, some of which have been posted on this board if you do a search:

[/url]

http://www.skillstat.com/learn.htm

Good call Angie...Its a nice review even for seasoned nurses...

The first step to be a specialized cardiac nurse is to get hired onto a tele/stepdown floor. MANY hire new grads and offer sufficient orientation, you just have to look. They will usually then give you EKG classes and other cardiac classes to give you that special cardiac knowledge base upon which you add your future experience.

. MANY hire new grads and offer sufficient orientation,.

NOt only will these cardiac/IMCU/step-down units hire you, many will suck you up like a vaccum(sp?)! These types of units are arguably the most difficult units to work, and most commonly have the highest nurse turn-over (thus all the open positions/hirings). You're expected to know your cardiac stuff (including ACLS certified), you'll take patients from icu (24hr post open-hearst, etc.), you'll pull sheaths post angioplasty, see all kinds of chest-pain people from the ER, you'll see lots of out-patient/24hr cath-lab/EP patients, you'll be admitting and discharging people faster than most other units...AND you'll only be slightly better staffed than the typical med/surg floor...(and as a bonus, you'll be running so much you'll stay in wonderful shape! :)

HOWEVER, if you can survive/thrive there (a year (two!) at least), you'll have an EXCELLENT base with which to go anywhere in nursing and be successful. And should you choose to transfer eventually, Your transition into (for example) ER or ICU will be MUCH smoother than a new grad or someone without a similar background.

Also, These nurses (IMCU,step-down,etc) can arguably be considered 'cardiac nurses'. But so can med-tele, cath-lab nurses, EP-lab nurses, CCU nurses, CVICU nurses, etc. 'Cardiac Nursing' is really an umbrella term claimed by several units/sub-specialties, etc....and a title nurses LOVE to plume themselves with...

I am a recent new graduate nurse, prepping for my boards. I also happent o be very interested in cardiac nursing. I know there are special certifications for it and which not, so in considering my long term nursing plans, what exactly is involved in the process of being a specialized cardiac nurse? Any input would be greatly appriciated. Thanks......

First congrats, second welcome aboard...ok you need to apply to a cardiac floor...step down tele unit or icu...in my facility on the step down unit there is a 3 month orientation, for the icu the rn will orient on my floor for 3 months then icu for 3 months...certs needed...ekg, venipuncture, telemetry (need to know the heart rhythm and meds to give for emergency) bls, acls, titratable drugs (dopamine, tridil etc) chest tubes, cental lines, pacing wires, external pacers, abg's, open heart sx cert, just to name a few...don't get overwhelmed...it takes time and alot of studying as well...it is a heavy floor in the sense of the acuity of pts and how many we have, but it is worth it when you have someone coming in with so much damage to their heart and being a part of their road to recovery.;..the best is when they come back and visit...it makes it all the more worthwhile....good luck on the boards...p.s. don't get discouraged by what you may hear...i was once the brand new nurse(just out of school...took the boards new) and started on the tele step down floor...that was 3 yrs ago...........GOOD LUCK...........

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