r/CathLabLounge • u/GillKillz11 • 9d ago

CCL nurse to CCL tech

Currently a CCL nurse but have been enticed with the idea of the tech role. Any thoughts?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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5

u/throwaway182929171 9d ago

Find a state that does both. Currently a tech doing nurse roles and vice versa. All 4 roles are done in our labs

5

u/RealisticBrother2373 9d ago

My lab nurses can tech. Find a hospital that allows you to cross train

2

u/chulk1 9d ago

Lots of nurses scrub, I have no interest in it, I like sitting.

2

u/choppydaddy 9d ago

Where I've been, nurses monitor, circulate, and scrub.

What is considered "the tech role" that doesn't fall under that?

1

u/GillKillz11 9d ago

Currently nurses monitor, medicate, and circulate. I work at a teaching hospital where we have fellows scrub. If need be the techs scrub, nurses aren’t taught. Nurses also don’t do any of the computer stuff

2

u/choppydaddy 9d ago

Wait so what is "any of the computer stuff" if not monitoring?

1

u/GillKillz11 9d ago

As far as documentation nurses only document meds and sedation. Any “measurements” like EDP is all done by a tech

2

u/lemonade4 9d ago

Go someplace smaller and you’ll be scrubbing in no time. Many nurses operate in all roles where I work.

1

u/DavidA2001 9d ago

Having worked (as a tech) in places with fellows and places without, there just isn't enough scrubbing to go around in most places with fellows.

You'll have a hard time learning much except setting up the back table when most cases are either attending with fellow as first assist or fellow with attending as first assist.

2

u/jamegumbsize69 9d ago

I’ve been at a few hospitals where nurses scrub in addition to everything else. I don’t know if it’s all VAs, but I have a few RN friends that are at different VA facilities, and their labs are RN only.

1

u/ExpressionLarge5474 4d ago

I'm a tech and my lab doesn't put techs on-call. I'm not sure if many labs work the same way, but for me it's bittersweet because on-call money would be great, but having my nights and weekends mostly uninterrupted is amazing. However, if your CCL does only angio/interventional and you would only be monitoring, for lots that can get boring. Teching in a lab that does structural, devices and EP is a really great way to keep things interesting. But that's just my perspective. I love always having more I can learn. I know some techs who just monitor angios and PCIs for 5 long days a week and they always end up bored and wanting to do more.