What is the best unit to start on in Cardiac Nursing ???

Published

Hello All!

I'm 21 and currently in nursing school (I will be a senior this fall !!!) and I'm loving every bit of it. I also work as a pool - nurse assistant to get some exposure to the different specialties in nursing. And, ever since, I've taken a liking to cardiac nursing. My first question is: what is the best unit to start on in cardiac nursing? Tele? CCU? Step-Down? EP? Medical? or are there others? I hope to return to school to study for an NP degree (with a dual MBA degree) or a CRNA program after about 3-5 years of being on the floor. And, my second question is: when would be the best time to make a move out of state? I'm currently in PA and my fiance and I are planning to move to Texas where his family is. Would it be most ideal to make the move after finishing grad school? I'm not sure if this second question is appropriate or not...

P.S.: I'm a new member to this forum and I thank you for your responses in advance

Thanks!

Suzenna, soon to be :nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

Hi and welcome!

I can only speak for myself, but I started on a tele unit right after graduation. I actually did 2 clinicals and my preceptorship there and applied for and got the job before I got out of school. I really enjoyed the environment ( great nurses, they enjoyed teaching us and were awesome with the pts). When I was a new student, I always thought I would go right into ED/Trauma or an ICU. I worked as a nursing assistant like you to get experience. All the RNs I worked with advised against that since I would be so new and needed to gain a "real world" knowledge base before going into acute care or the ER. I am really glad I took their advice, and when I did my clinicals, this unit just seemed right for me. I am actually still there 3 years later, and I still like it, although I am starting to put out my feelers for a more challenging position. I think tele is a great place to start. You get all kinds of patients from chest pain to CHF to ACS/MI. We have post cath patients, pacemakers, etc. We also get all kinds of other stuff like diabetes, GI bleeds, etc. In other words, you see pretty much everything on a tele unit. I have had lots of challenges, and I also get codes, since the patients can go south really fast sometimes.

In short, I advise tele, but thats just my opinion.

As for everything else, I can't help you, but there are lots who can on this site.

Good luck!

Amy

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care Nursing AKA ICU.

CCU/CVICU if you want to learn cardiac. skip the floors they are worthless(sorry, to those that work there, no disrespect)

if you want CRNA, go to CVICU!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am going to be a freshman in college this year and have been really looking at going into cardiac nursing, it seems to be something I'll really enjoy. Is there any pointers or recommendations that you might have for me?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Tele, Med/Surg, Case Mgmt, Ins. Rev.

I started fresh out of nursing school in a Tele/Med/Surg unit and know it was the best thing for me. I was able to get the basics, as well as Cardiac and Pulmonary. You sometimes have patients that are acutely ill, but there are no unit beds available, you have to prioritize a complex mix of patients and the labs, etc that go with that mix. Otherwise, I would recommend the wonderful world of the ER for a truly well rounded soup to nuts learning experience. Either way, Stick it out for 6 months to a year and then transfer to the unit and enjoy!

As for moving, life happens. Start work locally as a GN and get as much experience as you can before relocating.

Best of Luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

can a registered nurse go on training in echocardiography? is there a certain training school &/or prerequisites on how to become an echocardiographer? Thanks..

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would suggest ICU or critical care if you are aiming for your CRNA. If you decide to be a nurse practitioner, I would suggest starting off at a tele-floor or ER. ICU patients are usually on a monitor and a doctor is usually around. One thing I love about working on a tele floor is that you are able to learn how to work with your patients with the least usage of a monitor. Also, I found that critical thinking skills are enhanced due to the fact that a doctor is usually not around and you have to be able to think quick when a patient starts going downhill.:) Your time management skills will also come into play when working on a floor. We had an ICU nurse one time float to a cardiac stepdown and she ended up walking out, because she said she could not handle 3 patients. This was after she made a med error too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion