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Revised Position Statement – Staffing in the Cardiac Catheterization and EP Lab
REVISED 2010
Staffing in the Cardiac Catheterization and EP Lab
Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) maintains that all invasive cardiovascular professionals should demonstrate knowledge and competence through education and certification in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and achievement of the invasive cardiovascular credentials Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) or Registered Cardiovascular Electrophysiology Specialist (RCES.)
The RCIS offered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), has been recognized as the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory credential of choice by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI).
Ideally, all non-physicians employed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory should hold the RCIS credential. Non-physicians employed in the electrophysiology laboratory should hold either the RCES or IBHRE credential.
There are three primary roles of the cardiovascular invasive specialist: hemodynamic monitoring/documenting, circulating, and scrubbing. Minimal optimal staffing for diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures allows for staff to assume these individual roles. For diagnostic or interventional procedures staffed by only one physician, at least three non-physician personnel should be present. When there is more than one physician scrubbed for the procedure, a minimum of two non-physician personnel are recommended for monitoring/documentation and circulating for the procedure. For unstable patients, or complex interventional procedures involving multiple technologies, additional staffing may be needed. On-call staffing for emergency cardiovascular procedures should meet the same minimal staffing levels.
It is important to have in place a mechanism that verifies clinical competencies of all personnel performing or assisting with procedures. Clinical competencies should be reviewed annually
REVISED 2010