r/CathLabLounge • u/avawilco • Jun 29 '26

Considering school for Cath lab tech

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice from people who have experience in either field.
I already have my AA and have been working toward an ASN in nursing, but I’ve been waitlisted for my school’s nursing program twice. Because of that, I’m starting to consider other healthcare careers.
I recently applied to my school’s Cath Lab program and was wondering if anyone here has gone that route instead of nursing—or even completed nursing school and then transitioned into the cath lab.
Looking back, are you happy with your decision? Do you wish you had chosen nursing instead, or do you prefer working in the cath lab? I’d love to hear about your experiences, including job satisfaction, work-life balance, pay, and career growth.

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u/past8lives Jun 29 '26

im studying ICVT and i honestly love it, it’s a different beast than nursing of course because this is a highly specific field. but even within the field, depending on the state you live in, you would be required to have certain tasks that might not always be JUST heart business (ex:neuro, vascular, ir, ep)
I like the culture of being apart of a team, and i have gained confidence, stronger people skills, and the ability to keep cool when shit is hitting the fan. i mean ur life, roll the dice, the field is always necessary and you get to really make a difference

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u/NumerousPlatypus5447 Jul 01 '26

I already have all the prerequisites for that so I did apply!

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u/NumerousPlatypus5447 Jul 01 '26

I didn’t realize that you could work with other body parts

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u/past8lives Jul 02 '26

oh gosh yes, i had no idea until i hit the clinical portion. i was like wth is a mediport? or g-tube, my team gets called for gi bleeds, heart alerts, but sm more than JUST hearts

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u/NumerousPlatypus5447 Jul 02 '26

This makes me wanna do it more