First Assist Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Cardiac Cath Lab

Ellis Medicine•Schenectady, NY

14d•$46 - $89

About The Position

The First Assist NP/PA is an advanced practice provider specializing in interventional cardiology procedural support within the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. This role provides expert clinical care before, during, and after diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures. Responsibilities include functioning as a first assistant during procedures, managing patients with complex cardiac conditions, optimizing workflow efficiency, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to support high-reliability, high-quality patient care.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant program.
Licensed Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Physician Assistant (PA) in state of practice.
National certification (e.g., ANCC/AANP for NP; NCCPA for PA).
Current ACLS and BLS certification .
Minimum 1–2 years of experience in cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, or equivalent.
Prior hemodynamic monitoring experience required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an interventional cardiology, cath lab, EP lab, or cardiovascular surgery environment and proficiency with vascular access, suturing, and closure devices preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as first assist and scrubbed procedural assistant for diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures, including coronary angiography, PCI, peripheral vascular interventions, and structural heart procedures when applicable.
Scrub for procedures , assist with sterile field management, equipment preparation, guidewire handling, catheter manipulation (within scope), and device deployment support.
Administer contrast media under supervision of the interventional cardiologist in accordance with hospital policy and state practice regulations.
Assist with vascular access, sheath insertion and removal, suturing, closure devices, and hemostasis.
Prepare, position, and drape patients; maintain strict sterile technique.
Assist with management of intra-procedural complications (arrhythmias, bleeding, hemodynamic instability, tamponade, etc.).
Support radiation safety practices, patient monitoring, and procedural documentation.
Perform comprehensive pre-procedure assessment, including history, physical, medication review, and allergy/contrast risk evaluation.
Order and interpret diagnostic testing within scope.
Develop and implement patient management plans in collaboration with cardiology.
Conduct detailed post-procedure evaluations including vascular site assessment, contrast monitoring, medication reconciliation, and discharge planning.
Support procedural sedation monitoring per organizational policy and applicable scope-of-practice guidelines.
Provide timely and accurate documentation of procedures, assessments, orders, and patient progress in the EHR.
Communicate effectively with patients, families, nurses, technologists, and interdisciplinary team members.
Engage in case reviews, morbidity & mortality conferences, and code blue or STEMI debriefs.
Ensure all patients are prepped, consented, and clinically ready for scheduled or emergent procedures.
Coordinate with nursing, technologists, EMS, and providers to support rapid mobilization for STEMI and urgent cases.
Assist with inventory readiness, device setup, and troubleshooting procedural equipment.
Participate in quality improvement initiatives related to door-to-balloon times, radiation dose management, contrast minimization strategies, and bleeding complications.
Promote compliance with accreditation standards (IAC, Joint Commission), regulatory guidelines, and hospital policies.
Adheres to AORN, ACC, and institutional standards for invasive cardiac procedures.
Participates in time-out verification, procedural safety checks, and radiation dose monitoring.
Ensures readiness and calibration of monitoring equipment.
Participates in unit-based quality improvement and morbidity/mortality review processes.