Working in Cardiac Cath Lab

[sungrl01]

I was looking into applying for Cardiac Cath Lab. I want to know more about what it is like to work in this area of nursing. It seems like it would be a rewarding and challenging place to work. I have six years experience working in OR, PreOp and PACU areas but don't know if these experiences would help me in a Cath Lab setting overall.

[sungrl01]

Anyone?

[Boomer MS, RN]

With your listed experience, I do think you would be successful. I think it involves taking some call, but maybe you knew that. Not my cup of tea, I knew nurses who loved it.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Your experience should help you, unless your cath lab prefers to bring in their nurses from CCU.

My observations from working in a unit closely associated with the cath lab (not in cath lab, however) were that it was challenging, and often very exciting. The teams work closely with the docs, and they seem to have a pretty collegial relationship. I envied how it was 1:1 for the nurses, and they really seemed to know their stuff.

The only con, as far as I was concerned: TAKING CALL. These nurses could get called in at 2 am, work a case, be finished at 4, and yet still have to be back for their shift at 7am. That just didn't work for me, and I always had a little regret that I didn't move into cath lab. But my life was just not set up to take call at that time.