What emotion is stronger than the love we feel for our children, our families, our partners, our friends, and our furry friends? In fact, that love can sometimes feel so strong we don’t even know what we would do without those special people (and animals) in our lives.

Of course, when we’re talking about that love we’re talking about a feeling, an emotion. But that emotion is based out of a very real muscle in the body, the heart. And keeping that muscle going strong is essential to life itself. That’s why, this Valentine’s Day, we’re going to talk about just a few of the amazing people who take care of the heart, and help each and every one of us continue to love without end.

Heading into the Cardiology Unit

So, just what kind of healthcare professionals are responsible for this amazing muscle? We’re going to take a closer look.

Cardiac ICU Nurses

When a patient comes into the hospital with a critical heart condition the cardiac ICU nurse (or CVICU) is the one who provides a lot of the care to the patient. They’re the ones monitoring vital signs, inserting IV’s, administering medications, preparing surgical sites, providing post operative care, managing the complex medical equipment necessary for patient support and using the heart monitors to ensure the heart is operating properly.

What does all of this mean? It means that a cardiac ICU nurse is an essential line of support for patients who come into the intensive care unit in need of support. Working in a highly specialized area, these nurses have to undergo training to ensure they can react with urgency in the event of an emergency situation. After all, if you’re trusting your heart to someone you want to know that they’re going to keep it safe, right?

Getting general certification as a registered nurse is the start for a cardiac ICU nurse and this is followed by specialized certifications like the ACLS and Cardiac Medicine Certification. It’s also essential to get additional training in cardiac critical care. The cardiac ICU nurse makes approximately $85,205 per year, though the rate could go as high as $143,000 (Cardiac Icu Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate January 2025 USA).

Cath Lab Nurses

A patient in need of a cardiac procedure such as catheterization, heart valve replacement, or pacemaker insertion, will need a specialized doctor, but they’re also going to need a cath lab nurse. They’re the ones who are going to help with caring for patients in the catheterization lab or cardiac center, including monitoring patients, administering medications, managing the equipment necessary for monitoring the patient, preparing surgical sites, and providing general support and care for their patients.

What does all of this mean? It means that a cath lab nurse is responsible for taking care of the general needs of their patient in a specialized setting. While their work is not quite as specialized as some of the other heart related positions we’re talking about here, they are still going to need some additional training to care for patients after their procedures, and to support the doctors and surgeons who perform them.

A cath lab nurse would require a registered nurse license and basic and advanced life support certifications. They may then be required to have additional cardiac certifications like the Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification. Cath lab nurses’ salary near me could be approximately $90,976 (How to Become a Cardiac Cath Lab Nurse | Salary & Requirements).

Electrophysiology Nurses

We’re on to another nurse who takes care of the heart in a slightly different way. The electrophysiology nurse works with heart rhythm disorders and helps to monitor what’s called hemodynamics or the way that blood moves through the vessels. They also work with patients who have pacemakers, defibrillators and more to ensure they understand their condition and the care that they need to take moving forward.

The electrophysiology nurse will monitor electrical activity of the heart to ensure it’s functioning well, before or after procedures. It can be cute to think about your heart skipping a beat because you are so in love with someone, but if your heart is actually skipping a beat … well, that could be a problem. An electrophysiology nurse will be able to help you get that taken care of.

This type of nursing position doesn’t require as much advanced education as some others, with electrophysiology nurses earning basic and advanced life support certifications and registered nurse certification. But they can then expect to earn approximate average of $57.30 per hour (Average Electrophysiology Lab Nurse Salary by State).

CVOR Nurse

While we’re talking about the professionals who are responsible for caring for the heart, we can’t forget to talk about the place where the magic happens. The cardiovascular operating room is the place where doctors and their team will perform a multitude of different life-saving procedures that center around this muscle and the nurses who work here are responsible for a great deal of specialized support.

They prepare the operating room, monitor patients’ vital signs, and manage the care of their patients after their procedures. They require a great deal of training to ensure they are capable of doing all of the tasks related to the operating room. Why is that? Because a CVOR nurse will work directly with surgeons to perform procedures that help the heart to continue work or to improve the functions of the heart.

They’re not quite Cupid, the God of Love, helping you fall in love, but they’ll make sure your heart is ready to keep right on beating for the ones who are important to you. Also, unlike Cupid, these nurses need some training, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing being the general requirement. They’ll earn a good salary after, however, as a CVOR nurse has a salary expectation of $128,000-$205,000 a year (How to Become a Cardiovascular Operating Room (CVOR) Nurse – Schooling & Salary).

Telemetry Nurse

What happens after a stroke, a heart attack, a cardiac surgery, or some other type of cardiac procedure? The patient isn’t going to leave the hospital for a little while. They’re going to need support and careful monitoring to ensure everything is going well. That’s where a telemetry nurse comes in. They provide observation for the patient, monitor heart rhythms and vital signs, identify irregular heart rhythms and notify the appropriate personnel if there are changes to the heart rhythm.

What’s different about this type of nurse is that they can work in a range of different locations. They might work in a cardiac care unit, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, or a progressive care unit. After all, these are all locations where heart procedures might be done.

Telemetry nurses will typically require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, though some can get jobs with just an Associate. There is also a Cardiac Medicine Certification through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses that can be beneficial in getting hired in this position. With this type of position and education, a telemetry nurse salary is typically higher than the average of salaries in the nation, with a rate around $82,750 (Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Michigan).

When it comes down to it, there are a number of different professionals who are involved in taking care of your heart. And there are plenty of ways that you can help the process. Getting a job in this field is all about understanding the heart and making sure you’re ready to take on the responsibility for love in all its forms.