Expanding the role of the cath lab nurse and inspiring others

I started working in the catheterisation laboratory (cath lab) at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 17 years ago. When I joined this team, it was my first experience of cardiology. I enjoyed working in the cath lab from my first day. What I found most exciting was that everything seemed quite straightforward, but changes could happen in an instant and the patient's condition deteriorate within a very short time span. This required the cath lab staff to be focused and alert to any possibility. When necessary, as a nurse in the cath lab, you have to think and act quickly to support your team and your patients. Our patients were mostly elective, and the nature of the procedure involves investigating the coronary arteries.

The outcomes for patients attending are largely positive and the work that is performed in the cath lab is life saving and performed non-invasively.

I loved being the scrub nurse and handling the equipment. After a few years I could predict what equipment was required for the cases and I could support the consultants. I began to gain an understanding of all the techniques. One of the biggest advantages of being a scrub nurse is that you have the experience of working with many different consultants and you can learn tips and tricks from watching each of them.