How To Become A Cardiac Nurse

How Long to Become: 4-6 years Degree Required: ADN or BSN Certification: Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (CV-BC)

Heart disease is among the leading causes of death in the U.S., per the CDC. Cardiac nurses, also called cardiovascular or cardiology nurses, care for patients with heart conditions and work closely with cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. The job demands deep knowledge of the many factors that affect heart health.

What a Cardiac Nurse Does

Cardiac nurses work at the bedside in the ICU and in cardiac rehabilitation, across inpatient and outpatient settings. They administer medications, run stress tests, and handle emergencies, including assisting with defibrillation. The work rewards strong clinical knowledge, communication, and a commitment to continuing education as treatments evolve.

Steps to Becoming a Cardiac Nurse

Plan on 4-6 years, depending on whether you start with an ADN or a BSN. You will need acute care experience and, often, cardiovascular certification. Licensure requirements vary by state.

1. Earn an ADN or BSN. An ADN takes two years, a BSN four. ADN holders can finish a BSN online through an RN-to-BSN program. Most employers want BSN-prepared nurses for cardiac roles. Take electives in acute care, surgical recovery, and care of older adults.

2. Pass the NCLEX-RN. Required in every state to practice.

3. Gain clinical experience. New RNs build cardiovascular skills in inpatient acute care, including critical care, medical-surgical, or cardiac units. Nurses targeting outpatient cardiac care should get inpatient experience first.

4. Earn the Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (CV-BC). The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requires two years of clinical practice, 2,000 hours in a cardiovascular unit, and 30 hours of continuing education in cardiovascular nursing within the past three years.

Cardiac Nurse Education

You can start with an ADN or a BSN. The ADN is the faster, cheaper route and the minimum to sit for the NCLEX-RN and hold an RN license, which is all certification requires. Still, most employers want a BSN, and ADN holders can bridge up online while working a cardiac unit.

ADN Degree

An ADN teaches the skills to practice as an RN in two years, a practical option for nurses who can't commit to four years upfront.

• Admission requirements: high school science credits such as chemistry or biology, plus a transcript or GED, CPR certification, background check, physical exam, pre-entrance exam, and drug screening
• Curriculum: anatomy, biology, English, math, and nursing courses, with clinical hours in a hospital. Some programs run partly online.
• Time to complete: 24 months full-time, with part-time options
• Skills: core nursing care such as taking blood pressure, placing a foley catheter, starting an IV, distinguishing clean from sterile fields, caring for a PICC line, and inserting an NG tube

BSN Degree

A BSN takes four years and covers the same clinical skills as an ADN plus leadership, critical thinking, and evidence-based practice, which is why employers favor it. ADN holders can complete an RN-to-BSN program.

• Admission requirements: cumulative GPA usually at least 2.8 (3.0 for programs with college-level prerequisites), letters of recommendation, background check, and drug screen. Some schools waive the GPA floor with extra documentation and test scores.
• Curriculum: anatomy, physiology, English, math, plus leadership, research, statistics, and clinical reasoning
• Time to complete: four years full-time
• Skills: core nursing care plus evidence-based practice, public health, research, and management

Licensure and Certification

Every cardiac nurse must be a licensed RN, which requires passing the NCLEX-RN. Continuing education for renewal varies by state. Some states mandate specific topics such as domestic violence or human trafficking, and some require clinical practice hours. Check with your state board.

Many employers prefer certified cardiac nurses. Certification validates your skills, supports advancement, and signals commitment to patient care. The main options:

• Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (CV-BC). ANCC's entry-level exam. Requires a current RN license, two years of full-time practice, 2,000 hours in cardiac-vascular nursing, and 30 hours of continuing education in the field within three years. Valid five years.
• Adult Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC). A subspecialty from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) for nurses with acute or critical adult cardiac patients. It attaches to another national clinical certification and requires a current RN or APRN license plus a two-year or five-year clinical hours option.
• Adult Cardiac Surgery Certification (CSC). Also from AACN. Attaches to another national specialty certification and requires a current RN or APRN license plus a two-year or five-year clinical hours option.

Working as a Cardiac Nurse

New RNs may struggle to land a cardiac unit job straight out of school, so many start in acute care or medical-surgical units. You can improve your odds by completing cardiac continuing education, networking within your organization, and shadowing cardiac nurses. Settings include the cardiac catheterization lab, cardiology unit, cardiovascular interventional unit, and cardio-thoracic surgical unit.

Pay depends on geography, education, certification, and experience. Cardiac nurses average $70,605 a year as of December 2025, per Payscale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills do cardiac nurses need? Acute care skills, a strong foundation in hemodynamics and infection control, ACLS certification, and solid communication, organization, critical thinking, and teamwork.

How long does it take? 4-6 years, depending on whether you start with an ADN or BSN, plus acute and cardiac care experience and continuing education in hemodynamics, infection control, and cardiovascular knowledge.

What experience is required? Acute care work with critically ill and postoperative patients, which sharpens skills like defibrillation, electrocardiogram monitoring, and stress test evaluation.

How do cardiac nurses advance? The next step is the cardiac nurse practitioner role. These APRNs partner with cardiologists and surgeons to provide followup care, educate families, monitor treatment, assist in surgery, and manage cardiac rehabilitation.