Cardiac surgery jobs involve a variety of work related to heart surgery. The most important job in cardiac surgery is the chief surgeon, who performs all types of heart surgery and procedures. A physician's assistant is one of the cardiac surgery jobs that involves assisting the surgeons, either during surgery or in a laboratory or office setting. Cardiac surgery jobs may also include clinical coordinators, who organize services related to cardiac care.
A nurse practitioner is another one of many cardiac surgery jobs. The nurse practitioner may work assisted or unassisted in cardiac procedures. Such procedures may include post-operative care such as removing chest tubes or inserting artery catheters. The nurse practitioner can also examine and diagnose cardiac patients and offer advice regarding patient care.
The cardiac nurse educator is one of the cardiac surgery jobs that involves interaction with nurses in training. She will provide education regarding post-operative care and other procedures. Her work will typically take place in a classroom setting. This job requires certification, and in most cases a master's degree.
Not all cardiac surgery jobs involve interaction in a classroom or in the operating room. The cardiac surgeon secretary schedules appointments and conferences. She also is responsible for transcription and filing. This medical secretary job may also involve receiving phone calls and replying to patient inquiries.
Senior manager in human resources is one of the cardiac surgery careers involving employee development. Those involved in this area may also be responsible for hiring new staff members of a cardiac surgery team, such as medical secretaries. A senior manager of human resources in a cardiac surgery department may hold a bachelor's degree in human resources management.
There is a large demand for cardiac surgeons in the field of pediatrics. A pediatric cardiac surgeon treats heart-related issues in infants, children, and adolescents. Congenital heart conditions and defects may be corrected through open heart surgery and other procedures performed by these skilled medical professionals.
Cardiac surgery departments also need information technology (IT) specialists. One job in this field may be IT service manager. These technicians often monitor the computer software and hardware that keeps record of important patient data. An associate product manager of cardiac surgery is in charge of marketing strategies for the sale and distribution of cardiac equipment or other products.