What Do You Think?

Re: Pay Practices for MDs on Call

Do some hospitals pay their inteventional cardiologists for call and if so, what does that rate look like? Is it based on carrying the beeper or actual call in time?  Thank you!

Anonymous upon request. Email: cathlabdigest@aol.com

[Editor’s note: For more on this topic, check out “Physician On-Call Compensation in the Cath Lab: Strategies for Win-Win Arrangements” in the August 2010 issue of Cath Lab Digest.]

Re: How Many Staff Per Case?

The recommendation (from The Joint Commission and Perianesthesia Nursing Standards and Practice Recommendations) is one RN to monitor the patient for moderate sedation. One RN to circulate the room. Additional staff would include a tech to monitor and a scrub tech to assist the doctor. What are other institutions doing?

Michelle Moul, RN, BSN
Clinical Manager, Cardiac Cath Lab
Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center
Email: moulm@oakwood.org

Cath Lab Digest posted this question on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cathlabdigest. Below are some responses:

Aida: And they keep adding more documentation for that RN to do.

Julie: We always have one RN circulating.

Jenny: We routinely run a three-man team: one scrub, one monitor, one RN circulating, doing both sedation and equipment. Have any links to those standards?

Katherine: At my clinical site, the techs are RCIS and they push meds — the cardiovascular technology degree specializes in patient care, including meds in the cath lab. Scrub, circulator and monitor all techs.

Tammi: We currently have an RN circulating, a scrub tech and a monitor tech. I am curious, Katherine, what drugs do your RCIS techs push?

Katherine: Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, conscious sedation (benzo, opioid agents) along with their reversal counterparts if needed, nitrates, anti-platelets, anti-thrombotics, pressor agents, anti-arrhythmics.

Nikki: I have traveled quite a few places and have never had more than a three-person team, with at least one RN and one tech. The third could be either.

Michelle: What numbers do you have for your STEMI call team? A 3- or 4-person call team?

Danika: We have a 4-person team, one RN doing sedation for the patient, a scrub, monitor and circulator, which may be RN or rad tech.

Jason: Usually 3-4, but can be less if fellows become involved and we are light on staffing.

Rosemarie: RNs are cross-trained to CVT. Team of 3-5: RN circulates, CVT, attending, RT, fellow. For our call team for STEMI, we try to have combo of two RNs, one circulates, one is rad tech or CVT. And, of course, attending plus fellow.

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