A cardiac care nurse cares for patients in various settings who have acute and chronic conditions related to cardiovascular disease.
Cardiac care nurses who specialize in the field of pediatric cardiology typically work with newborns, children, and teenagers. Since pediatric cardiac nursing is a very specialized field, this guide focuses on providing education for nurses interested in providing cardiac care to adults.
Where Do Cardiac Care Nurses Work?
Cardiac care nurses work in a variety of settings — including hospitals, physician offices, clinics, cardiac rehabilitation centers, and patients’ homes.
Depending upon the size and capabilities of the hospital, cardiac care units may include a cardiac catheterization lab, a coronary care unit (CCU), a surgical intensive care unit (SICU), and a telemetry unit. Some hospitals may also have a “progressive care” unit of some type.
Critically ill patients with medical conditions are typically cared for in the CCU, and those who undergo surgical interventions are typically cared for in an SICU. When patients no longer require an intense level of care, they are often transferred to a cardiac “step-down” unit that provides continuous cardiac monitoring via telemetry.
What Does a Cardiac Care Nurse Do?
Cardiac care nurses can be registered nurses (RNs) or nurse practitioners (NPs)—who may also be referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
The cardiac care nurse’s credentials and state practice laws determine the scope of practice permitted. The setting in which a cardiac care nurse works will also influence a cardiac care nurse’s duties, but they generally may include:
Assessing and monitoring the patient’s status
Documenting the patient’s medical history and symptoms in the patient’s record
Creating and updating the patient’s plan of care
Collaborating with the patient
Administering medications and treatments
Performing various procedures
Operating and monitoring medical equipment
Teaching patients and families
Collaborating with the cardiologist and other members of the cardiac care team
A cardiac care nurse who is an NP will have a much greater scope of practice and higher level of responsibility.
The ACC says the document “also identifies aspects of cardiovascular medicine that exceed core expectations and may be maintained or achieved by some specialized NPs and PAs, depending on their expertise, skills, practice agreements, and licensure.”
Background information within the document notes that:
“NPs and PAs are integral members of the cardiovascular care team in diagnosis and management of patients with cardiovascular disease, both in general and specialty cardiovascular practices.
Prerequisite education, training, experience, and demonstrated competency provide a foundation to function in a collaborative team environment with significant autonomy, extending the capabilities of the general or subspecialty cardiologist and the entire cardiovascular team.
When practicing at the full scope of education, training, and licensure, NPs and PAs improve access to care and provide comprehensive clinical care, including diagnosis, management, test ordering and interpretation, procedure participation, patient education, and care coordination.
Most clinical care teams that utilize NPs and PAs report enhanced practice performance, physician efficiency, revenue generation, improved clinical outcomes, and enhanced patient satisfaction.
Model cardiovascular teams are composed of members including but not limited to cardiologists, NPs, PAs, behavioral scientists, cardiovascular technologists, clinical nurse specialists, data/informatics professionals, exercise physiologists, genetic counselors, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, registered dieticians, and social workers.”
The competency framework for NPs and PAs in adult cardiovascular medicine contained in the document provides detailed descriptions of core competencies, as well as those related to:
Acute coronary syndromes
Adult congenital heart disease
Ambulatory and consultative care cardiology
Cardiac arrhythmias and electrophysiology
Cardiovascular disease prevention
Critical care cardiology
Heart failure
Pericardial disease
Stable ischemic heart disease
Valvular heart disease
Vascular medicine
How Much Does a Cardiac Care Nurse Make Per Year?
According to salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for registered nurses was $81,220 in May 2022—with half of nurses earning more than that amount and half earning less. Wages of nurses in the lowest 10 percent averaged $61,250. Wages of nurses in the highest 10 percent averaged $129,400.
The BLS does not provide a pay breakdown according to specialty but does provide median annual wages for registered nurses according to general categories of work location. Since most cardiac care nurses care for patients in hospitals, physician offices, clinics, cardiac rehabilitation centers, and patients’ homes — the following mean wages may apply:
General medical and surgical hospitals: $90,600
Home healthcare services: $82,920
Offices of physicians: $79,810
Outpatient care centers: $97,200
However, a cardiac care nurse practitioner will earn a higher wage. According to BLS salary data, the median annual wage for nurse practitioners was $121,610 in May 2022—with half of nurse practitioners earning more than that amount and half earning less. Wages of nurse practitioners in the lowest 10 percent averaged $87,340. Wages of nurse practitioners in the highest 10 percent averaged $165,240.
Since most cardiac care nurse practitioners care for patients in the same settings as other cardiac care nurses, the following mean wages may apply:
General medical and surgical hospitals: $129,330
Home healthcare services: $148,960
Offices of physicians: $121,880
Outpatient care centers: $134,030
The salary of a cardiac care nurse is also influenced by factors such as education, experience, and geographical region of the country.
RNs must also be licensed in the state in which they work. Licensure can be obtained by passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and meeting any additional requirements of the state’s board of nursing. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) offers a resource to determine state-based nursing licensure requirements.
A cardiac care nurse can also obtain specialty certification by meeting eligibility requirements and taking the exam to earn the Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (CV-BC™) credential offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
According to the ANCC, “The ANCC Cardiac-Vascular Nursing board certification examination is a competency based examination that provides a valid and reliable assessment of the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of registered nurses in the cardiac-vascular specialty after initial RN licensure. …”
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) provides the CMC® adult certification: “CMC® is a subspecialty certification for certified nurses who provide direct care to acutely/critically ill adult cardiac patients. Nurses interested in this certification may work in areas such as cardiac care units, medical ICUs, telemetry, progressive care, heart failure clinics, home care, interventional cardiology, cardiac cath labs and/or electrophysiology units.”
Cardiac care nurses who are advanced practice nurses, such as nurse practitioners, are licensed registered nurses who obtain at least a master’s degree in their specialty role, pass a national certification exam, and hold an APRN license in their state.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Cardiac Care Nurse?
There are many benefits to being a cardiac care nurse, including the ability to:
Work in a variety of practice settings
Enjoy interesting, fast-paced work — often with cutting-edge technologies
Help patients and families navigate one of the most challenging seasons of their lives
In an article published by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), “A Day in the Life of a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner (NP),” one NP described the evolution of her career as a cardiac care nurse like this: “I was originally hired in 1995 as a cardiology NP just for stress tests. As time went on, I helped start a device clinic within the practice for patients with pacemakers, defibrillators and other devices. It was successful and the benefit that these target programs would have for patients with other cardiac conditions was clear. I helped start a heart failure clinic, and we began hiring NPs as the clinic grew. Now, there are three NPs in the office. Cardiology is well suited for NPs. In my experience, cardiologists tend to embrace NPs in these roles and for diagnostic testing. Cardiology NPs often see patients with carotid artery disease, arrhythmias and other conditions. I think that one of the assets of the cardiology NP is that most of us have a passion for educating patients. So much of what we do to treat patients as a whole person involves listening to them and educating them about why a medication is important, for example, or explaining the research. Advocating for them is based in research and staying on top of the most up-to-date information.” — Colleen Walsh-Irwin, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, AACC, FAANP, Program Manager, Evidence-based Practice, Department of Veterans Affairs.
Additional Resources About Becoming a Cardiac Care Nurse
To learn more about becoming a cardiac care nurse, these additional resources may help:
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