Volume 16 - Issue 9 - September, 2008
Generational Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce: A cardiac cath lab perspective
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Many leaders and experienced staff working in their “twilight years” are experiencing new challenges at work in the cath lab. These members of the baby boomer generation, who have been the biggest segment of the workforce for several years, are facing several challenges. The newest challenge for boomers is in understanding the newest generation in the workforce: the “Millennials” or Generation Y. After some time now of working with Generation X staff, the Generation Y staff bring a still newer workplace perspective. Knowing how to integrate an additional generational perspective and ha
Core Curriculum and Standardization of Training for the Catheterization Laboratory Specialist
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The author has no conflicts to declare, and no grants were received for the preparation of this manuscript.
In 1977, amidst immense skepticism, Professor Andreas Gruentzig performed the world’s first angioplasty in Zurich, Switzerland. Using a balloon catheter he and his wife fashioned in their kitchen, he dilated an 80% stenosis in the patient’s left anterior descending artery and thus ushered in the modern era of interventional cardiology.1-2 The ensuing years have witnessed tremendous expansions in developments and indications for these procedures, extending well beyond the cardiac arena.
Next-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents
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This monthly column in Cath Lab Digest reviews important points of distinction in drug-eluting stents, from characteristics to techniques, to provide valuable and relevant information about this technology.
Dr. Grines is the Vice Chief of Academic Affairs, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. In 1989, Dr. Grines initiated the first Primary Angioplasty in Myocardial Infarction (PAMI) study. Since that time, she has designed and completed seven additional PAMI studies. Dr. Grines has authored numerous book chapters and hundreds of medical j
Ask the Clinical Instructor
- Tue, 9/16/08 - 12:30pm
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Todd is the Cardiology Manager for Memorial Hermann Southeast in
Houston, Texas. He also teaches an online RCIS Review course for Spokane Community College, in Spokane, Washington, and regularly presents with RCIS Review Courses.
I get confused about the all anticoagulants used in the cath lab. I am not a nurse, and I can’t seem to “get” why they use which ones at certain times and why.
— Anonymous RCIS Review Online Learner
Yes, it can be confusing and intimidating. But, if you understand some of the basic principles behind these medication choices, it can be something that yo
The Ten-Minute Interview with… Erik Hushelpeck, RCIS, FSICP
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I have lived in Utica, New York, Ashville, North Carolina, and Denver, Colorado, among other places, but I have been living in Gainesville, Florida, since 1980. I graduated from the CVT (cardiovascular technology) program at Santa Fe College in 1998 and worked for Shands teaching hospital at the University of Florida. While at Shands, I focused on adult interventional/heart failure, electrophysiology (EP) and pediatric procedures. I still live in Gainesville, home of the Gators, and for the last five years I have been the invasive cardiology instructor at Santa Fe College.
Why did you choo
Turf Battles – Navigating the Landscape
- Tue, 9/16/08 - 12:55pm
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When I agreed to write this article, it seemed to me that I would be painting a large bull’s eye on my back. No matter how I approached this subject, it would be controversial. I accepted the task only because there are plenty of places to hide when you live in Oregon.
The topic did appeal to me, as I was asked not to write about why there were turf battles between physicians so much as how best to deal with the ever-changing landscape for everyone who works in the cardiovascular arena. I usually have my cardiovascular blinders on, so I can’t think of another area in health care that i
The Key Steps of a Cardiac Cath Lab Operational Assessment
- Tue, 9/16/08 - 1:02pm
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In today’s economy, getting the most value from your cath lab, in terms of operational throughput, human capital, and patient and physician satisfaction, is crucial to survival in the increasingly competitive market for cardiovascular services. In the case of a growing or expanding program, understanding the complex workings and interrelationships within the cath lab setting is especially important to future success. The cath lab is a unique environment, with staff working elbow-to-elbow with the cardiologist in a collaborative setting to provide care in an often intense clinical situation.
What Do You Think?
- Tue, 9/16/08 - 3:03pm
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Multiple new and ongoing questions from readers.
Your responses are welcome!
Answer or pose a question at cathlabdigest@aol.com.
Sheaths Left in Place
When an arterial sheath is left in place for whatever reason, what is the accepted connection? Is a pressurized saline flush necessary to prevent clot formation? This sheath is to be removed in 4 hours.
Mary Floyd, RN, BSN, CCRN, RCIS, Director, Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Lewis Gale Medical Center
Email: Mary.Floyd@hcahealthcare.com
Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com
At the end of the procedure, we flush the sheath with heparinized
September 2008 Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) News
- Tue, 9/16/08 - 3:09pm
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The Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals held their annual meeting July 31st–August 2nd at Harrah’s Las Vegas hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Emerald Coast Chapter is calling for nomination of the local officers of its SICP Chapter. The Emerald Coast Chapter congratulates Mark Bowles, RN, CCRN, on his successful year as Chapter President. Thank you to Chapter Secretary, Angie Bowles, RN, CCRN and Chapter Treasurer, Belinda Trollinger, RN, RCIS.
The Emerald Coast Chapter RCIS Review Course will be held October 4, 2008 in Pensacola, Florida. To register, contact Angie Bowl
Still Puzzling: Best Care for the Frail and Elderly with Coronary Artery Disease
- Tue, 9/16/08 - 4:19pm
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A new study from Duke University Medical Center finds that patients treated solely with medications after suffering from chest pain, heart attack or coronary artery disease are more likely to die during the first year following their initial hospitalization.
“Patients managed medically without stenting or bypass surgery tend to be elderly and frail, and in some sense we feel they have been overlooked,” says Matthew Roe, a cardiologist at Duke and the senior author of the study. “We wanted to find out what clinical factors were funneling them into a medicine-only group and what happene
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