Cath Lab Orientation Survival Guide | 11-Page PDF | 2026–27 Edition

Your first 90 days in the cardiac catheterization lab — a room-by-room, week-by-week orientation manual for nurses moving into the cath lab from the floor, from the ICU, or from new practice.

Written around what actually goes wrong, and when. Where you physically stand during a case and why, what each role does, the equipment you are expected to know by week two, the complications that announce themselves quietly, and the questions worth asking your preceptor before you need the answer.

Built for the pocket and the break room, not the library — skim the tables before your shift, read a section a day during orientation, and use the checklists live.

Part of Cardiac Nurse Playbooks. Instant PDF download, yours to keep.

Educational reference material for licensed clinicians and students. Not medical advice, not a protocol, and not a substitute for your facility's policies, physician orders, or device manufacturer instructions. Where this guide and your unit policy disagree, your unit policy wins.