Committing to RCIS Credentialing For All Cath Lab Staff At WakeMed

Tell us about the cath lab at WakeMed.

WakeMed Heart Center’s program is the busiest in North Carolina and we treat more heart patients than any other hospital in the state. Our invasive cardiology department has nine cardiac catheterization labs (five with peripheral vascular capabilities) and two electrophysiology labs. We perform more than 21,000 procedures a year.

What prompted your mandating the registered cardiovascular invasive specialist (RCIS) credential for all staff?

RCIS credentialing is a formal recognition of specialized knowledge, skill and training that enables us to promote quality outcomes for our patients. In 2009, we had about 25% of our staff RCIS credentialed. Our management team engaged the staff in a discussion about making this stamp of quality mandatory in our department. The staff was receptive to this level of commitment, but was also anxious about the exams.

How has the requirement been implemented?

Our department has encouraged the RCIS certification for our staff for numerous years. For the past three years, it has been a requirement to participate in our clinical development ladder. We have hosted the Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) RCIS Review course onsite for the past two years as well. Therefore, transitioning to a mandatory requirement was the next step for us. Our management team worked to be supportive and individualized situations to encourage our staff’s success. We also worked with staff going through personal situations to help them create an education plan that met our department’s goal and was within their abilities.

What has been the staff reaction?

There was some anxiety at first, but we celebrated each person’s success and helped instill confidence in the other staff. We provided staff with the necessary resources to study for the exams. We agreed to be flexible and created specialized education plans to support staff in order to be successful. Once the momentum was established, we were optimistic that we could achieve this goal.

Where do you stand now with certified staff?

We have 100% certification of all staff that is required to take the exam. We set guidelines establishing that new hires with previous cath lab experience must obtain their certification within 12 months. New hires without previous cath lab experience must obtain their certification within 2 years.

Kim Wooten can be contacted at kwooten@wakemed.org.