Registered Nurse Cardiac Stepdown

Job Summary:

The Registered Nurse in the Stepdown Cardiac unit provides specialized nursing care to patients with cardiac conditions including myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, post-open heart surgery, vascular surgery, and stroke with cardiac involvement. The nurse is responsible for patient assessments, telemetry monitoring, medication administration, and collaboration with the interdisciplinary team to ensure optimal patient outcomes. This role requires strong clinical expertise, flexibility to float to similar units, and proficiency in Epic electronic health records.

• Provide skilled nursing care to cardiac PCU patients including myocardial infarction, vascular surgery, and post-open heart surgery cases.
• Perform telemetry monitoring and interpretation of dysrhythmias and cardiac rhythms.
• Manage vascular access sites including groin and radial band care.
• Administer medications, blood/blood products, and perform treatments such as breathing treatments, chest tube care, CPAP/BiPAP, and trach care.
• Provide care for patients with specialized structural heart support devices such as VAD and TAVR.
• Perform cardioversion, defibrillation, and epicardial pacer management as needed.
• Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary team members and document care accurately using Epic.
• Float to like units as required to meet staffing needs.
• Maintain patient safety and adhere to sternal precautions and post-operative care protocols.

• Minimum 2-3 years telemetry or surgical telemetry nursing experience.
• Experience with vascular access management including groin and radial band sites.
• Active ACLS and BLS certifications.
• NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification.
• Proficiency in Epic electronic health record system (hard stop requirement).
• Strong cardiac care knowledge including myocardial infarction, arrhythmia management, and post-cardiac surgery care.
• Valid Registered Nurse license in the state of practice.

• Experience with VAD (ventricular assist devices) and TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) care.
• Experience with open heart 24-28 hour post-operative care.
• Familiarity with stroke patients with cardiac involvement.

• Floating to like units is required; flexibility is essential.
• Every other weekend work is mandatory.
• Patient-to-nurse ratio typically 1:4, may be 1:5 during midnight shifts.
• Open heart post-op experience is not required for this role.
• Must comply with all unit-specific protocols including sternal precautions and telemetry standards.

• Shift assignments include day and night shifts as determined by the unit.
• Weekend rotation every other weekend is required.
• Scheduling may include floating to similar units based on staffing needs.