.jpg)
A CVICU, or cardiovascular intensive care unit nurse, specializes in the care of critically ill patients with heart and vascular problems. CVICU nurses provide advanced medical care in this fast-paced and dynamic cardiac nursing specialty. They ensure patients get specialized and lifesaving care when they need it most.
Cardiac intensive care unit nursing is both demanding and rewarding. Here, you will find some of the most cutting-edge treatments, advanced procedures, and extremely critical cardiac patients. You will work alongside a highly specialized and dedicated team of medical professionals.
Also called cardiac ICU nurses, CVICU nurses manage complex equipment and powerful medications while skillfully guiding their patients through what is often a very challenging and difficult time. Their knowledge, skill, and compassion make a tangible difference in the lives of their patients every day.
The CVICU is a specialized hospital unit dedicated to caring for patients experiencing a wide range of conditions that affect their heart and blood vessels. Critical situations, complex patients, and exciting challenges are the norm here.
Are you thinking about joining this exciting career path? CVICU nursing and CVICU travel nurse opportunities abound. Keep reading to learn more about this exhilarating and in-demand nursing specialty.
CVICU nurses generally care for one to two critical patients at a time. While the CVICU nurse job description can vary between individual units, the primary responsibilities of CVICU RNs include:
CVICU nurses also provide support, education, and reassurance to patients and their families during stressful times. CVICU nurses expertly guide and advocate for their patients, ensuring the best possible care and outcomes.
CVICU nurses generally work in hospitals. CVICUs are often located in larger facilities, medical centers, and teaching hospitals. Pediatric CVICUs are located in larger pediatric facilities and children’s hospitals. Community hospitals may have smaller CVICUs.
Some CVICU nurses are critical care transport or flight nurses. These nurses help transport critically ill cardiac patients via ambulance, helicopter, or airplane from smaller facilities to larger medical centers that can give them the specialized care they need.
CVICU travel nurses are able to work in a wide range of facilities and hospitals throughout the country. CVICU nurses are in high demand and are needed in every area of the United States.
CVICU nurses see a wide range of cases and medical conditions. When patients need to be in the CVICU, they are sicker and require more specialized care than patients admitted to a cardiac step-down or cardiac medical unit.
These patients require advanced cardiac care and additional respiratory and physiologic support. Here are some of the most common CVICU diagnoses:
To become a CVICU nurse, start by completing an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. After you complete your degree, here’s what comes next:
Opportunities abound to advance your CVICU nursing career! If you return to school for an advanced degree in nursing, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, you can become a:
If going back to school isn’t in your plan, there are still many great ways to advance and further specialize your CVICU nursing career. Without an advanced degree, you can become a:
CVICU nurses need an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing and a license to practice nursing in the state they wish to work in. Once these requirements are met, here’s what to do next:
$85,000. CVICU travel nurses, CVICU nurses who specialise further, or CVICU nurses with advanced degrees can earn much more. White pay varies from facility to facility, CVICU nurses are amongst some of the highest-paid nurses, including other types of ICU nurses and nursing specialties.
CVICU nursing pay varies by location. Areas of the country with lower living costs typically pay lower CVICU nurse wages, and areas with a higher cost of living often pay higher wages. For example, a staff CVICU nurse in Florida currently makes an average of $81,000 annually, while a CVICU nurse in New York makes an average of $89,000 annually.
Don’t forget to use our Travel Nurse Salary Guide to stay current on the latest CVICU travel nurse pay information and trends! Here, you can also compare CVICU nurse travel pay with other travel nurse specialties pay- such as ER, ICU, medical-surgical nursing, and more.
