Ever wondered what CVICU nurses do? They are the critical care heroes who save lives one heartbeat at a time. CVICU stands for Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, and CVICU nurses care for patients with complex cardiac conditions. If you are thinking of becoming a CVICU nurse, then in this blog, we will discuss the responsibilities, requirements, and salary of CVICU nurses. So, let’s dig in!
What is a CVICU nurse?
CVICU stands for Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, and CVICU nurses are registered nurses who take care of patients with serious heart conditions, such as:
- Patients recovering from heart surgery, such as bypass.
- People with arrhythmia.
- They take care of patients who need mechanical circulatory support.
- Patients suffering from complex cardiovascular conditions.
Where do CVICU nurses work?
CVICU nurses work with other healthcare team members such as cardiac surgeons, respiratory therapists, etc. They usually work in the cardiac ICU and hospital CVICU (Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit).
What are the responsibilities of CVICU nurse?
Some of the responsibilities and duties of CVICU nurses are as follows:
- Continuously monitoring the vital signs, such as heartbeat, hemodynamics, etc, of the patient.
- CVICU nurses will also interpret the ECGs and lab results to detect the early signs of patient deterioration.
- They also administer IV medications, manage ventilators, and other life support equipment.
- CVICU nurses assist other healthcare team members in emergency procedures such as code blue, etc.
- CVICU nurses also provide post-operative care to the patients, provide emotional support, and educate the patient and their families about cardiac conditions and recovery.
What are the requirements to become a CVICU (Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit)?
Here are the requirements to become a CVICU nurse:
Educational Requirements:
Get your nursing degree, such as an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) or BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). ADN is for 2 years, whereas BSN is for 4 years. Many hospitals prefer BSN nurses for critical care roles such as CVICU (Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit).
Licensure:
The next step is to pass your NCLEX-RN exam and get your nursing license so you can legally work in the state. If you want to work in multiple states, then it is better to apply for NLC. NLC is a multistate nursing license that allows you to work in multiple states without applying for additional licenses.
Experience:
If you want to become a travel CVICU nurse, then you need at least 1 to 2 years of experience in ICU or critical care. This experience helps you to adjust to the new environment of the hospital quickly.
Certifications:
Some of the certifications you can get to boost your knowledge and career in CVICU are as follows:
- BLS (Basic Life Support)
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
- CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse)
What are the skills required for CVICU nurses?
To become a successful CVICU nurse, you need to have clinical, technical, and emotional skills:
- They should have advanced cardiac knowledge.
- Skilled in ECGs, hemodynamic monitoring, arterial lines, etc.
- Knowledge of medications such as vasoactive drugs, antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, and pain medications.
- Experience and knowledge of using mechanical support devices such as ECMO, IABP, VADs, and pacemakers.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills under pressure.
- Team collaboration
- Communication skills, resilience, and compassion
- Time management skills, etc.
CVICU salary and job outlook
Pay and salary of CVICU nurses vary according to different factors such as location, healthcare facility, experience etc., but the average salary of a CVICU nurse is $3000 to $4000. The demand for CVICU nurses is increasing due to the increased number of cardiovascular diseases and aging. Sometimes there is a shortage of CVICU nurses, and to fill the gaps, healthcare facilities hire travel CVICU nurses.
What is the difference between ICU nurses and CVICU nurses?
The main difference between ICU nurses and CVICU nurses is that ICU nurses take care of a variety of critically ill patients, including trauma, sepsis, etc, whereas CVICU nurses take care of cardiac and post-open heart surgery patients.
How much experience do you need to become a CVICU travel nurse?
You need at least 1 to 2 years of experience in critical care or ICU to become a travel CVICU nurse.
What certifications are best for CVICU nurse to boost their career?
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
- Cardiac Surgery Certification (CSC)
- Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Telemetry/ECG certification
Conclusion
CVICU nurses are the superheroes of healthcare, from monitoring patients after open heart surgery to managing life devices, CVICU nurses play an important role in cardiovascular recovery. If you want to become a CVICU travel nurse, you must have 1 to 2 years of experience in critical care and the ICU. Also, to be eligible, you need to have a nursing degree, an active nursing license, and some certifications, such as BLS, ACLS, PALS, CCRN, etc., to boost your career. With the right education, certification, and experience, you can become a successful CVICU RN. Join SkillGigs and become a travel nurse with us, where you get to choose your own assignments with competitive pay.
