When Josmy Varghese first stepped into a cardiac catheterisation laboratory as a nursing graduate in India, she knew she had found her calling.
"I realised this was my place of interest," Josmy said.
"Once I started working in a cardiac cath lab and learnt more about the anatomy and physiology of the heart, I was hooked."
After beginning her nursing career in India, Josmy moved to Australia in 2017. She built her career in cardiac services before joining Rockhampton Hospital earlier this year as Nurse Unit Manager of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory.
Now, she's building the team that will help deliver a new era of cardiac care for Central Queensland.
Rockhampton Hospital's new cardiac catheterisation laboratory is a key part of the hospital's expanded cardiac services, which also includes a purpose-built Cardiology Ward and Cardiac Investigations Unit. These new facilities will support the staged introduction of advanced public cardiac services, helping more patients receive specialist treatment closer to home.
The new facility will initially provide diagnostic coronary angiograms before progressively expanding to interventional procedures, including coronary stents, pacemaker implantation and other advanced cardiac treatments as the service grows.
For Josmy, it's an opportunity to build something special.
"We will have all the technology needed to deliver advanced interventional cardiology procedures," she said.
"As our service continues to grow, we'll be able to offer more procedures locally and reduce the need for patients to travel to tertiary hospitals outside of Central Queensland."
A cardiac catheterisation laboratory is a specialised procedural suite where clinicians diagnose and treat heart conditions using minimally invasive techniques. During most procedures, patients remain awake while specialists guide fine catheters through an artery in the wrist or groin to the heart.
"Patients will usually spend around 30 to 45 minutes in the lab for a diagnostic procedure before recovering in one of our six new dedicated recovery bays," Josmy said.
"It's amazing what we're able to do through such a small access point."
The expanded service is also creating exciting opportunities for nurses wanting to build a career in interventional cardiology.
"We're looking for passionate nurses who are interested in cardiac care or critical care and want to develop specialist skills in the cath lab," she said.
"We have a strong education team, including experienced clinical educators and facilitators, who will support nurses every step of the way. You don't need previous cath lab experience. We can provide the training and support to help you become an independent cardiac catheterisation nurse."
As construction progresses, Josmy is excited about the clinical opportunities available and how these new facilities will improve services for our community.
"Being able to provide more cardiac services locally means patients can receive the care they need closer to home," she said.
"That's what makes this so exciting. We're building something that will make a real difference for Central Queenslanders."
We are looking for cardiologists, clinical and registered nurses, cardiac physiologists and clinical support roles to join our team.
View our current cardiac service job listings and apply today: https://bit.ly/3MY9KMY
Join us on the journey to becoming Australia’s regional centre of excellence for cardiac services!