Cath Lab Nursing: A Day in the Life

Do you know what a cardiac cath lab nurse does?
Would you like to try something new and exciting in healthcare?  Why not the cardiac cath lab?  Most nurses do not know what happens behind those doors in the cardiac cath lab in the hospital.  Nurses know that the cath lab team is called-in to take care of patients having a heart attack but what it’s like behind those doors and under that lead apron, nurses outside that unit have no clue.  What is the cardiac cath lab?  What does a cath lab nurse do?  

The cardiac cath lab is a procedure area within the hospital that is considered a specialty unit.  There 2 different types of labs: diagnostic and interventional.  Let’s discuss what that means.  Cardiac cath labs that can place stents in the body and take ‘STEMI’ or heart attack call in their community are considered interventional cardiac cath labs.  Diagnostic cardiac cath labs only do diagnostic procedures to look at the heart but do not place stents in the body. These procedures are all done with a type of x-ray called fluoroscopy.  The 3-D heart is viewed on the screen in 2 D while IV contrast is injected into the heart arteries to illuminate them.  Pretty amazing, right?!

What does the cardiac cath lab nurse do, you ask?  

The nurse in the cardiac cath lab is a highly skilled and trained provider.  One of the primary roles of the nurse in this setting is the administration of procedural and or moderate sedation to the patients.  The medications that are normally used are fentanyl and versed under the direction of the cardiologist.  Once the patient is comfortable the procedure begins.  This is when the cool stuff starts!  Nurses in the cath lab get to see the inside of the heart arteries.  Yes, all the vessels we memorize as nurses in this specialty area we get to see the inside of the arteries.  Pretty amazing!  Even better when there is the blockage is removed and their heart rhythm changes, meaning their ST elevation goes away, it’s impressive.  It’s a good feeling to know that you are a part of the team that saved someone’s life.  

The nurse in the cardiac cath lab is trained to use different high-tech specialty equipment like the Impella or angiojet to save someone’s life.  The new technology and the ability to prolong life have created these unique specialties where nurses get to manage and assist with one patient’s care and use critical care skills.  Cardiac cath lab nurses are some of the smartest critical care thinkers.  They work alongside a small team and manage some of the most unstable patients and are often referred to as the “swat team” of the hospital.  They come in when a patient is having chest pain, swoop them up and take them to the cath lab, fix their heart and bring them back to their room.  It’s quite impressive.  

Do you want to become a cardiac cath lab nurse and try something new without the hassle of long applications?

EARN Cares is helping all registered nurses and advanced practice nurses find the right fit for their next full-time job.  

Is it a Good Fit?

EARN Cares offers a free, confidential, and friendly evaluation for every nurse! During this evaluation, they learn who you are as a nurse and what roles may fit you best. If ambulatory nursing seems like a good fit for you, let them know.