Cath Lab Digest - September 2007 - (Page 38)

38 DISCUSSION GROUP SEPTEMBER 2007 What Do You Think? Multiple new and ongoing questions from readers. Your responses are welcome! Answer or pose a question at cathlabdigest@aol.com. Advanced-Level Cardiology Physician Extender Program Would readers of Cath Lab Digest have an interest in the development of an advanced-level cardiology physician extender program? This is a program that would train men and women who have a minimum of an associate’s degree. Participants would be required to have the CCI RCIS credential and a minimum of five years in noninvasive, invasive and interventional cardiology settings. The thoughts are to develop guidelines for those who have AS degrees to complete BS degrees, and focus on noninvasive and invasive cardiology procedures. Those with a bachelor’s degree would focus all aspects of cardiology and complete a master’s degree. The platform of the guidelines would parallel the requirements for nurse practitioners, except the student would be dedicated to the care of cardiology patients and cardiology procedures. A suggested title for the AS => BS track would be “Certified Cardiology Physician Extender.” For the BS => MS track, the title would be “Advanced Level Cardiology Physician Extender.” would it allow me to expand my duties in the cath lab. Will I need these as prerequisites if the physician extender program is developed? Will I need to acquire my bachelors in radiologic technology? Please keep me posted on any new developments! Jeffrey Poore ajpoore2@msn.com In reference to your physician extender program question in the ongoing questions section, I would be interested. Could you please let me know what happens? Sincerely, Jason Wilson, RCIS III WilsonJD@ellishospital.org Yes, I would have interest in the program. I have been in cardiac cath for 9 years, combined with interventional radiology for 14 years. I currently hold a coordinator position in a VIR lab. Jason A. DuBray Vascular-Interventional Radiology Clinical Coordinator Jason.Dubray@rexhealth.com I would be very interested in this development. Please keep me posted. Daniel Towler, RT(R)(CV), RCIS Clinical Product Manager, Lumedx Corp. I would be interested in the BS-MS in advanced-level cardiology. Kenneth K. Garland kgarland@indianarmc.org Keep reading Cath Lab Digest over the next year for further details as the facts are presented. Thank you, Anonymous by request Email: cathlabdigest@aol.com I have recently become aware of the RPA program for radiology and thought cardiology could definitely use the same sort of assistance. I have been an RT(R)/SPT for 9 years at the same invasive interventional lab, with a couple years moonlighting at an additional lab with mostly the same cardiologists. Some of our RTs have expressed an interest in obtaining their RN degrees, and some are pursuing that field. I, on the other hand, see no advantage to getting a RN title other than it would permit me to administer IV medications. My RT(R)/SPT allows me to do everything a nurse can do in the cath lab other than the IV meds. So I have been looking for a program such as this suggested physician extender program. In my particular lab, RTs are not permitted to circulate or monitor the cases. Therefore, I have mastered the scrub and fluoro roles. I am a resource for my co-workers and the cardiologists for everything from deploying closure devices to the advantages of sheathless IABP insertion. I take an active role in our research projects and take it upon myself to become a super-user for every device introduced into our lab. I voluntarily acquired my ACLS certification and am a member of the SICP. I love this field because I am always learning, but feel a bit stifled and know that I have the talents to do more in this field, but lack the resources to become a cardiologist myself. I currently have only my associates degree, and our lab does not require a CVT or RCIS credential, and has made it clear that obtaining these would not be discouraged, but it also would not warrant any sort of incentive bonus, nor Cc cathlabdigest@aol.com to have your response published in the next issue of Cath Lab Digest. New Questions Medication Errors I was wondering if anyone knows of any studies on medication errors in the cath lab and statistics involving the errors (i.e., nurses vs. techs, intervention vs. diagnostic). I was wondering who commits the most errors and during what situations the errors are committed. I feel this would help the lab where I work with calling attention to some areas where we may not always look (not that we have many errors at all). We have a lot of relatively young staff and we may be looking at cross-training techs to give medications down the road. If you have heard of any studies or know of where I may be able to find this information, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Mark Baker, MICP, RCIS Email: cathtech99@yahoo.com Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com ACT Check Prior to Sheath Pull Our cath lab is currently reviewing and writing policies and procedures. We are currently reviewing standards for pulling arterial sheaths when heparin has been given as a bolus prior to a diagnostic procedure or during a peripheral intervention. Currently, there is no practice in place to check an ACT unless the physician orders it. Our Policy and Procedure Committee wants to implement a policy for checking an ACT prior to pulling the sheath. What is your department’s policy/practice, and what level of the ACT is deemed safe for patients? Thank you. Mike LeGal, RN, BSN, CCRN Cardiovascular Lab Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital and Medical Center Clackamas, Oregon Email: Michael.R.Legal@kp.org Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com Update: Many discussions have been undertaken regarding the avenues of how this program might be developed. Several educators in the U.S. have expressed a sincere interest in the undertaking. The goal is pre and post management of patients; performing at least diagnostic procedures under the direct supervision of the physicianin-charge, and the intention is to offer a program that is 85% online, with 15% of the program requiring all students to be on campus for formal classes at least twice a semester. In addition, the intention is to offer a program that has a reasonable cost, since most candidates would have full-time positions, take call, and have families. Screening Criteria We are a small rural hospital with one diagnostic cath lab and two cardiologists. We have been unable to locate any up-to-date screening criteria (the most recent American College of Cardiology guidelines are dated 2001). What criteria would you recommend that we follow to screen our patients (inpatients and outpatients)? We do not offer bypass or interventional procedures. The closest facility is 30 minutes away. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Cheryl J. Harrell, RN Lori A. McMahon, RN Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Email: Cheryl.Harrell@provena.org Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cath Lab Digest - September 2007

St. Dominic Hospital The Genous Bio-engineered R Stent Percutaneous Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Chronic Total Occlusions: Device Options and Clinical Outcomes Contents Clinical Editor’s Corner Percutaneous Revascularization of Peripheral Chronic Total Occlusion — Which Patients, Why, and How? Myocardial Infarction and Syncope: A Manifestation of the “Raynaud-Prinzmetal Syndrome”? Essential Technical Components of the Transradial Approach If You Build It, Will They Come? Evidence-Based Medicine with Drug-Eluting Stents Back to School: The Value of Education in Cardiovascular Services The ACVP Standards and Competencies: Are You Using Them Effectively? What Do You Think? My Experience with Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Stroke A Brief Review of Fibromuscular Dysplasia Letter to the Editor A Look at On-the-Job Training: Perceptions, Reality and Our Profession Doing the Wave: Inventory Management with RFID The Ten-Minute Interview with… Paul Pinsker, RCIS CLD’s Annual Salary Survey Harrisburg Area Community College Volunteer Survey CEU Education Center SICP* Section Ask the Clinical Instructor: A Q&A Column for Those New to the Cath Lab Clinical & Industry News

Cath Lab Digest - September 2007

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