Cardiac Nurse Job Description Template

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Written by Katherine Zheng, PhD, BSN Content Writer, IntelyCare
A cardiac nurse assists a surgeon with a heart surgery procedure.

Cardiac nurses are vital members of the healthcare team, providing specialized care to patients with heart and vascular conditions. Not only are they quick at responding to emergencies, but they also play a key role in supporting patients before and after critical surgeries. When hiring for this role, preparing a strong cardiac nurse job description will help you attract applicants who are well-equipped to take on this specialty.

To help you hire the best nurses, we’ve outlined a job description template that can be easily tailored to meet the needs of your facility. We also recommend preparing thoughtful interview questions for when you’re ready to start meeting with top applicants. Seeking even more job market insights? Take a look at how other facilities are promoting their cardiac nurse job openings and learn how to stand out from the crowd.

Cardiac Nurse

Tips: To introduce your cardiac care nurse job description, you’ll want to briefly summarize the role and your facility. This section can shape a candidate’s first impression of your work culture, so think of what special perks and distinctions would make them excited to join your team. You can highlight key parts of your employee benefits package, or even describe your facility’s mission to give candidates an idea of what drives your culture.

Since cardiac nurses can work in a variety of settings, you should also mention what type of unit you’re hiring for. Being upfront about whether this is a hospital cardiac nurse job description or an outpatient opening will help candidates decide whether the role aligns with their preferences.

Template:

[Facility name] is looking for a cardiac nurse (RN) to join the cardiac step-down unit at our beautiful, lakeside medical center. As one of the largest health systems in the nation, we are leaders in delivering high quality, evidence-based care. We put great emphasis on fostering a healthy work environment so that our nurses can best show up for their patients.

Joining our team means that you’ll get to work with compassionate and driven professionals while developing your skills at a top organization. Explore all of the other great perks of working at our facility below!

Benefits

Tips: This section of your job description should go into more detail about the benefits and perks that are offered at your facility. In addition to describing your employee benefits package, you should also list any special training or career development opportunities available for your nursing professionals.

Template:

  • 401(k) retirement matching plans
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • 20 days PTO, 1.5x holiday pay rate
  • Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
  • Continuing education (CE) credits
  • Clinical career ladder programs

Duties and Responsibilities

Tips: Prospective applicants will also need to know what their day-to-day will look like on the job. This section should outline the key cardiac nurse responsibilities and daily activities that are expected for your unit.

Keep in mind that these duties will look slightly different, depending on what type of department you’re running. For example, a cardiac rehab nurse job description may focus more on general recovery and health stabilization. Conversely, a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) may require nurses to carry out more pre-op, post-op, and critical care management.

Template:

  • Provide nursing care to patients recovering from cardiovascular surgeries and events
  • Conduct thorough assessments, monitor vital signs, and appropriately respond to any changes in a patient’s condition
  • Collaborate with our multidisciplinary cardiac care team to develop and implement treatment plans
  • Educate patients and families about their condition, recovery process, and at-home health management
  • Maintain accurate documentation and effective communication regarding patient care

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: Now, it’s time to lay out all the other details of the job. This section of your cardiac nurse job description should outline the expected pay, work hours, and location of your facility. Nurses will be comparing these details with other job opportunities, so being transparent and providing a cardiac nurse salary range can help attract more applicants.

Template:

  • Annual salary of $72,000 — $81,000, with final offer determined based on qualifications and experience
  • Full-time, 12-hour day shifts (7a — 7:30p)
  • Unit: Cardiac step-down
  • Location: [insert city, state]

Skills and Qualifications

Tips: In this section, you should specify the cardiac nurse qualifications that are required or preferred for the role. If you’d like your candidates to have specialized cardiac nurse skills, such as telemetry or cath lab experience, you should also list these here.

Template:

  • BSN from an accredited nursing program required
  • Active RN license in the state of [insert state] required
  • BLS and ACLS certification from the AHA must be obtained within 30 days of hire
  • At least 1 year of nursing experience preferred
  • Telemetry experience preferred

Call to Action

Tips: Finally, you’ll want to outline the next steps for nurses who are interested in submitting an application. To wrap up your job description, plug a brief call to action that includes a link to your application portal. If your facility doesn’t use a portal, make sure to provide the contact information for whoever candidates should be sending their resumes and cover letters to.

Template:

Are you ready to take your cardiac nursing career to new heights? Click here to start your application today!

Start Finding Top Applicants Today

Now that you have a solid cardiac nurse job description, you can start collecting high quality applications. Want a head start? Discover how IntelyCare can help you reach a nationwide network of nursing professionals who are actively seeking full-time and part-time jobs.


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