How to Become a Cardiac Nurse ā Overview
A cardiac nurse is a registered nurse who specializes in caring for patients with heart and cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and post-cardiac surgery recovery. Cardiac nurses work closely with cardiologists and healthcare teams in hospitals, cardiac care units, and rehabilitation settings to monitor heart function, administer treatments, and educate patients on heart health. To become a cardiac nurse, you must first earn a nursing degree, obtain RN licensure, gain clinical experience, and pursue cardiovascular-focused training or certification.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, with the World Health Organization reporting approximately 19.8 million deaths each year.
Congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease are conditions that affect the heart.
Cardiac nurses take care of cardiac patients during cardiac surgical procedures, rehabilitation, and post-cardiac surgery recovery.
Cardiac nurses are registered nurses specialized in cardiovascular care, not to be confused with cardiac specialists or technicians who may have different roles and qualifications.
Who is A Cardiac Nurse
A cardiac nurse serves patients in the healthcare sector, receiving treatment for cardiovascular conditions and diseases. They are RNs or registered nurses (RNs) who are specifically trained and certified in the cardiovascular field.
Skills Required to Become A Cardiac Nurse
Cardiac nurses need specific training on the heart and its function. These nurses require communication, critical thinking, organization, and teamwork skills. A reliable cardiac nurse requires the following technical skills:
- Acute care
- Critical care
- Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)
- Treatment planning
- Patient care
- Life support
- Catheterization
- Pediatrics
- Telemetry
These nurses must spend a lot of time educating patients and families about treatment plans; hence, you must be comfortable communicating with others.
Education Required for the Cardiac Nurse Profession
To become a cardiac nurse, one must obtain an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), although many employers prefer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Before starting to work as a cardiac nurse, you must obtain registered nursing credentials, and the options are detailed below:
- An Associate Degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing school, completed in 18-24 months.
- BSN or Bachelor of Science in Nursing, constructed in 4 years from an accredited college or university.
- An ADN to BSN Bridge program takes about 12-18 months.
- An RN-BSN bridge program for registered nurses takes about 1-2 years to complete.
Although an ADN is a minimum requirement, most employers prefer cardiology nurses with a BSN. Those who prefer higher roles, like cardiology research, should acquire an MSN or MSc in Nursing to work independently of cardiologists or supervisors when treating patients.
Licensure For Becoming A Cardiac Nurse
After completing an ADN or BSN program, graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. This exam tests knowledge and skills essential for entry-level nursing practice, not based on specialty. It may take up to six hours, including breaks.
The NCLEX exam examines the nurseās abilities, knowledge, and cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving. If candidates do not pass the NCLEX-RN exam on the first attempt, they must wait a prescribed period, typically 45 days, before retaking it.
Preferred certifications
While certification is not always mandatory for cardiac nurses, obtaining certification, such as the Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (CV-BC), can demonstrate specialized expertise and is highly valued. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and other organizations offer many certifications, which include:
- CSC or Adult cardiac surgery certification enables cardiac nurses to provide direct care to critically ill cardiac surgery patients within 48 hours after cardiac surgical procedures. They can also work in post-anesthesia care units.
- CMC Adult Cardiac Medicine certification, a specialty certification for RNs to directly care for acutely ill cardiac patients in cardiac care units, heart failure clinics, ICUs, and telemetry
- RN-BC or Cardiac Rehabilitation Nursing Certification (now only available for renewal) allows cardiac nurses to work with cardiac rehabilitation programs where heart patients recover from surgical procedures and treat various cardiac conditions.
- CV-BC or Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification, an extremely specialized certification that allows nurses to work in cardiac catheterization labs, makes them more viable candidates for open positions.
Eligibility criteria vary for these certifications; you may need to research before enrolling. Most certificates require at least two years of practical RN experience and 2,000 clinical practice hours in the last three years.
6 Steps to Become a Cardiac Nurse
Becoming an experienced and trained cardiac nurse takes some years, which is difficult. Below, we will discuss the steps to answer the question of how to become a cardiac nurse:
1. Obtain Registered Nurse (RN) Status
Becoming an RN is the first step in the cardiac nurseās journey. To be eligible for further career advancement, you must obtain an RN license and work for at least one year as an RN.
2. Complete a Cardiac Care Training Program (CCTP)
Although it isnāt a widely recognized certification, it may help advance your career and allow you to practice more independently. This enables you to treat cardiac patients and emergencies. It covers surgical procedures for cardiovascular patients.
3. Attain Practical Experience
This is crucial to practical experience in any field, so get some after your training program. Research to determine the institution that can provide enough practical training to become an experienced cardiac nurse and acquire more knowledge on handling cardiac patients.
4. Get a Cardiovascular Credential
As you are sufficiently trained and practically experienced, enroll in a cardiovascular credential exam to get certified in cardiovascular nursing. This proves that you have the necessary professional development skills in this field.
The Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) offers the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) certification for technologists, not the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, which certifies perfusionists.
5. Go For Post-Masterās Program Certificate
To become a cardiac nurse practitioner, you must obtain a Post-Masterās Certificate in adult or pediatric cardiology. It helps you gain more experience, get more information, and develop your skills for treating heart diseases.
6. Attain an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) License
Your next move should be getting an advanced practice nurse license to prove your skills for handling heart care emergencies independently.
Experts recommend achieving the cardiac nurse practitioner role as the core of this career, which can help you get hired by an institution to independently treat heart disease.
The Roles and Duties of A Cardiac Nurse
Before becoming a practitioner in the field of cardiac nursing, you should know your roles and duties. Some of the important roles and duties include:
- Assess cardiac patientsā health
- Medication administration
- Evaluate stress
- Treat chronic health conditions
- Monitor electrocardiogram
- Provide post-surgical care following heart surgeries
- Insert and remove IV drips
- Monitor the use of a defibrillator
A Few Organizations, Societies, and Agencies to help in the USA
- Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
- American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine
- The Society of Pediatric Cardiovascular Nurses
- Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
- European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
Conclusion
Cardiac nursing is a high-demand expertise where you work with cardiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, and other nurses to provide patients with the best possible heart care.
We hope we can adequately answer your question on how to become a cardiac nurse. You serve humanity and earn money in this noble profession.
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