Cardiac Physiologist Training
Training for cardiac physiology (or the way the heart works) is a large part of cardiac vascular training which covers both the way the heart works and the way the vascular system around the heart works. As a registered nurse, you can receive cardiac vascular training through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for which you will receive a certification if you successfully complete the program.
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Registered Nursing Background
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To begin with, before you can specialize in any field such as cardiac physiology, you must first become a licensed registered nurse (RN). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, all registered nurses in the United States must complete a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN), an Associate's degree in nursing (ADN) or a diploma program offered through a hospital. After doing so, you meet the eligibility requirements to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)---the required test to become a licensed registered nurse.
Eligibility
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Once you've become a registered nurse, you are ready to specialize in whatever field you choose. The eligibility requirements to specialize in cardiac vascular nursing require that you minimally have 2 years of RN full-time experience before applying. You also must have 2,000 hours of cardiac vascular experience and 30 hours of cardiac vascular continuing education credits. When you've met these requirements, you may apply for the cardiac vascular certification (RN-BC).
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Test
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The Cardiac Vascular Nurse Board Certification test extensively covers the topics that you receive in your continuing education credits and on-the-job training. As of April 2010, there are 150 questions that are scored. There are seven main domains of practice: pathophysiology and manifestation of cardiac and vascular disease; communication; the provision of care; patient and family/caregiver education; psychosocial aspects of cardiac vascular disease; leadership; and legal and ethical issues. Sixty percent of the questions are about the first and fourth domains.
Fees
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Unfortunately it is not free to apply to become an RN-BC. There are several fees associated with the process. The lowest initial certification fee of $270 is for those who are members of the American Nurses Association. For those who are members of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association or Society for Vascular Nursing, the initial certification fee is $340. Candidates who aren't a member of any of these organizations have an initial certification fee of $390.
Salary Potential
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The fees associated with receiving the RN-BC credentialing may seem nominal comparing them to your potential salary. RN-BCs working as registered nurses have a median salary of $62,200 and salaries begin to increase from there according to PayScale.com. RN-BCs who are the director of nursing have a reported median salary of $73,200 and those working as clinical nurse managers have a median salary of $82,300. The highest reported median salaries go to clinical nurse specialists (CNS) and nursing managers. As of April 2010, they have median salaries of $83,000 and $84,000 respectively.
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References
- Photo Credit patient image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
