Cardiac nursing facts for kids
Cardiac nursing is a special type of nursing that focuses on helping people with conditions related to their heart and blood vessels. These nurses work closely with heart doctors, called cardiologists. They help patients who have problems like chest pain (angina), weak heart muscles (cardiomyopathy), blocked heart arteries (coronary artery disease), or when the heart can't pump enough blood (heart failure). They also care for people who have had a heart attack or an irregular heartbeat (cardiac dysrhythmia).
Cardiac nurses do many important tasks. They care for patients after heart surgery, help with special tests like stress tests, and constantly watch the heart's activity using monitors. They also check blood vessels and perform general health checks. To do their job well, cardiac nurses must be certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). This means they know how to help someone in a medical emergency, especially if their heart stops. They also need special skills like reading electrocardiograms (ECGs), which show the heart's electrical activity. They also know how to use a defibrillator to reset a heart's rhythm and how to give medications through a continuous IV drip.
Cardiac nurses work in many different places. You might find them in special heart care units (CCU), in rooms where doctors perform heart procedures (cardiac catheterization labs), or in intensive care units (ICU) where very sick patients are cared for. They also work in operating theatres during surgery, in centers where people recover after heart problems (cardiac rehabilitation centers), and in places where new treatments are studied (clinical research). Some work in wards specifically for heart surgery patients (CVICU) or general heart medical wards.
Becoming a Cardiac Nurse
All cardiac nurses are registered nurses. This means they have completed special training and passed exams to be licensed. To become a cardiac nurse, you first need to become a registered nurse. After that, you can get extra training and experience in heart care.
There are special certifications for nurses who want to focus on heart and blood vessel care. For example, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers an exam called the Cardiac-Vascular Nursing exam. Passing this exam shows that a nurse has advanced knowledge and skills in caring for patients with heart and blood vessel conditions. This helps ensure that cardiac nurses are highly skilled and ready to provide the best care.
