What is being a cardiac cath lab nurse REALLY like?

[adaiello]

Hi everyone, I've been a nurse for almost 3 years working on a cardiology inpatient which also serves as our MICU step down. I've seen a lot and learned a lot but am now ready for a change. I've always wanted to be an ICU/CCU but an offer came around for me to be a cardiac cath lab nurse. Honestly I'm I love cardiac so anything in that field i'm happy with. But as I was thinking what exactly does a cath lab nurse do? What role or roles does the nurse play during the procedure? I'd appreciate any input :)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

You'll require more input than mine, I think. My husband worked in the cath lab for years, and although you'd never get him to write a post, he liked it. I'm sure other cath lab nurses will chime in about the specifics of the job, but DH took health histories, got the patient undressed, did some teaching re' the procedure and the after care, helped manage stress and anxiety and documented the procedure. He was also responsible for after care. Your question is "what is it like"? and I cannot really answer this. He only dealt with one patient at a time, and minimal interactions with families -- that's a plus. He only saw them during their procedures, so long term relationships with patients weren't realistic. But he did learn a lot just from listening the discussion between the docs. After a couple of years, the lead got heavy so to speak, and he went looking for an ICU job again. But the experience is well worth it.