Work in the cardiac unit? What's that like? Help!!!

righteousjenn · Jan 17, 2014

I am not yet a CNA, but there's a job opening that I hope that's available in 9 weeks!!! It's on the cardiac floor as well. I've been doing my research and will be taking a certification class for ACLS, PALS, and a basic EKG course. I was reading that this will really help (especially with the monitors).

Good luck!

Michaela, RN · Jan 17, 2014

I'm assuming you are going to be working as a CNA?

If so, I am currently an NA on a world known Medical Cardiac Step-down unit at a large hospital in a metro area. I also float to CVRU, and a post surgical cardiac unit. It is a great position and I absolutely love it! I graduate with my BSN in May and hope to work as an RN there.

As an NA you will have nothing to do with reading the monitors, except for maybe checking the patient's pulse on them if the dynamap reading seems inaccurate, so don't worry about that. At this point, I would not take any extra classes such as ACLS, PALS or and EKG class because as an aid you are not able to utilize any of this knowledge and they are very expensive classes.

Your main job duties will likely include VS q4h, very strict I&O because many of your patients will likely have HF and will need to be closely monitored for fluid retention, daily weights (same time/scale/clothing every time), assisting with ADLs, ambulation and possibly finger sticks for accuchecks. Aside from this, you will answer call lights and be responsible for keeping patients safe and comfortable. It is likely that many of your patients will be fall risks r/t hypotension, so make sure their bed alarms are on and they are not walking to the bathroom, etc, without your assistance.

As an NA you will not be responsible for any patient teaching or assessments -- those will be left to the RN. What your main priority is, is to notice any changes in the information that you gather and reporting it to the RN for further evaluation.

Hope that helps!

righteousjenn · Jan 17, 2014

the reason I mentioned the certifications is because one of the jobs I came across actually asked for them... the EKG class anyways. I will be starting (hopefully) a BSN program in the fall so I do not mind paying for those classes even if I won't utilize them just yet.

CarlyBelle · Jan 17, 2014

Thank you for the answers. I graduated from a training program as a patient care technician. That's the position I got hired for, I will be called on Tuesday to start off. In school I was taught how to do EKG's, I guess that the fact I graduated 8 months ago with no luck in finding a job is what scares me, I might have forgotten a thing or two in such time.

I hope that the person in charge of training me for my first week is a nice one.

Michaela, RN · Jan 18, 2014

You will definitely do perform EKG's but on the job you will not be required to interpret them. That is outside your scope of practice. The extra certifications are great and will help you in school, but if you were just planning to get those for the job I wouldn't suggest it :)

Good luck and I'm sure whoever trains you will be nice! They have been in your shoes and it really seems to me that most employees in hospital settings are team players! If you have any questions I'm happy to help

Stephalump · Jan 18, 2014

Eh, I'm a a PCA and one of my roles is as a monitor tech. I took the same EKG course everyone who works in tele/cardiac care had to take and trained with an experienced MT.

Any place worth a grain of salt won't just stick you in front of the monitors without training.

I'm assuming for your purposes you'll just b glancing at the monitors to look at basics. If your pulseox says your patient's heart rate is 200bpm, a trip to the monitors is in order.

geekstitching · Feb 3, 2014

I have worked on a cardiac telemetry floor for 1 year and 2 months. I have been working as unlicensed personnel (care tech). For the past 8 months I have doubled as a monitor technician. Through my hospital of employment I took a basic dysrhythmia course and was then trained on unit to interpret continuous cardiac telemetry monitors. The monitors only have relevancy to your position if you are trained to read them. It's very important to make sure you know how to interpret and EKG if you will be working with the monitors. I assume that your hospital has a course that you can take to 'certify' you for the hospital's cardiac telemetry monitoring.

Key points regarding patients with cardiac issues: if they complain of chest pain, indigestion, back pain, jaw pain, arm pain, etc (any S/S of possible AMI) it is important to notify the nurse immediately so that the nurse can assess and provide intervention for the patient. Monitor I/O closely along with no added salt diets.

When in doubt, ask the nurse of the patient. When in doubt of hospital policy, ask the charge nurse. It is better to ask questions as opposed to going ahead and doing something and then realizing it is not within the UAP scope of practice.

I hope you enjoy your experiences! :)

funtimes · Feb 11, 2014

I find patients on cardiac units to be a little more demanding and difficult in terms of their personality than on other units. I guess its because high strung type A personalities are more likely to develop cardiac issues. As a result You'll probably see a lot of patients who are pretty much self care, but will be on the call light constantly, complaining and making demands.

I would familiarize yourself with code procedures, because these are patients who are more likely to have a code out of the blue than on other units. There's no point in taking ACLS if your a tech, as you aren't going to be pushing drugs or intubating people, but its probably a good idea to be somewhat familiar with how megacodes are run and what equipment is going to be needed and where its located.