Cardiovascular Nurse Job Description

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the field of cardiovascular nursing is growing rapidly thanks to an aging population and ongoing improvements in cardiac-care technology.

General Role

Cardiovascular nurses usually work in hospitals, as part of a team supervised by a cardiologist. Broadly speaking, they are responsible for caring for patients who have heart disease or who have undergone a cardiac procedure such as bypass, angioplasty or pacemaker surgery.

Daily Responsibilities

In a typical day, cardiovascular nurses' responsibilities may include monitoring stress-test evaluations, monitoring cardiac and vascular readings, making patient assessments and caring for patients after heart surgery.

Rehabilitation

Some cardiovascular nurses focus on education, rehabilitation or both: helping patients recover from heart surgery and teaching them (and their families) about lifestyle adjustments that can prevent heart disease from getting worse.

Patients

Cardiovascular nurses may work with children and adults of any age, although the majority of heart disease patients are older.

Salary

According to simplyhired.com, in October 2009 the average salary for cardiovascular nurses was $55,000 per year. Income can vary based on a cardiovascular nurse's training, location, experience, education and certification, such as by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

References

• AllNursingSchools.com
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• SimplyHired.com

Resources

• CDC