What Does a Cardiac Cath Lab Nurse Do?
Cardiac catheterization, or heart cath, is the insertion of a catheter into a heart chamber or vessel. Catherization can be used as a diagnostic tool to investigate possible cardiac conditions or used as a form of treatment. A specialized subset of cardiac catheterization is coronary catheterization, which involves catheterizing coronary arteries. From angioplasties, valvuloplasties, to stent placements, catheterization procedures take place in state of the art labs. During a catheterization procedure, the catheter, or thin, flexible tube, is inserted into a vein in the patient’s leg or arm then moved into the arteries or heart. Cardiac cath lab nurses can also assist physicians in implanting pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibillators (ICDs). They must be good with technology and able to learn quickly. The majority of cardiac cath lab nurses work in hospitals and clinics, generally stationed in intensive care units and cardiovascular catheterization labs if they’re available
