How to Become a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Manager

Cardiac catheterization laboratories have been in existence for nearly forty years, offering specialized cardiac care to patients with a wide array of cardiac disease and etiology.

Variability in physicians’ schedules, procedure add-ons, procedure time length, and patients’ medical urgency contribute to scheduling variability, long patient wait times, incidental staff overtime, and poor patient flow and satisfaction.2 Following is an overview of the potential variants of patient flow in the cardiac catheterization lab and a look at how strict adherence to procedural start time impacts department productivity.

Cardiac catheterization labs are one of the most significant capital investments for hospitals.3 However, in recent years, due to various changes in health care with regard to changes in diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and Medicare reimbursement, it has become increasingly difficult for hospitals to maximize their cardiac cath lab’s potential economic return.3 As a result, cath lab management is being pressured to increase productivity without expending additional capital.

Quality cardiac cath lab flow is an essential element to providing exceptional cardiac care.

Six Sigma’s focus on customers (in this case, patients) and quality improvement will be beneficial in identifying areas of concern and will provide a structure for the identification of and changes to poor patient flow in a cardiac catheterization lab.

BE AWARE of the congestion zone at the foot of the cath lab table.

CONSIDER the universal layout characteristics common to all cath lab environments.

ALWAYS Place connectors, controls and cable features at an easy-to-reach height where users do not have to bend over or stoop.

Cable management  is ALWAYS an issue.

NEVER assume that the needs of Physicians are the same the needs of technicians and RNs.

The Valvular Heart Disease Clinic, Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, Heart Failure Clinic and other subspecialty cardiovascular clinics partner with the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory to optimize your care.

Procedures conducted in the catheterization laboratory to diagnose your condition may include.

Several members of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory are involved in research and development of new technologies and techniques to expand and improve cardiac catheterization treatment.

Being involved in the daily care of patients in the cardiac catheterization laboratory is both challenging and rewarding; however, it can be easily overlooked that for the patients, the experience is likely unfamiliar and frightening, and may result in significant changes to their future and that of their families.

Our experience has also shown that the lack of private space in some cardiac catheterization labs also contributes to another issue related to the patient experience, that of confidentiality.

Typically only available in large hospitals and clinics, and open only to nurses with suitable credentials and practical experience in a specialty role, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Nurse must be a patient-care specialist in all aspects of the Cardiac Catheterization laboratory, or Cath Lab.

Becoming a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory nurse involves rigorous post-licensure training and clinical experience.

Proficiency in cardiology nursing procedures and skills, including cardiac dysrhythmia interpretation.

Practical experience is best obtained through the cardiac cath lab training program through your employer.

Be able to assist in circulate and scrub cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology procedures.