[JenniferM]

I am coordinating an effort to determine the value of bringing back monitor technicians for a 48 bed step-down department. Our organization eliminated that job when we went to cardiopagers. However, we have identified an issue w/ response to those pagers. Preliminary anecdotal information indicates that those who have eliminated these positions have brought them back because there is no one to track trends and staff get conditioned to shutting the pagers off w/o looking at the rhythm. However, I need some hard and fast facts that support this. Does anyone have any leads/ideas/suggestions?

Thank you for your time. J

[SCNuttyMeg]

I work on a cardiology unit where we have two monitor technicians a shift. Ive only been there six months on this floor and when I first got there we would wear cardiopagers. We are no longer using those because they never alerted us for abnormal rythms. THey would pick up tachy and junky rhythms but THATS IT. While the monitor techs were able to pick up runs of v-tach,new a-fib, and notify RNs of changes in patients rhythm, the pagers did not. After several months of recording what the pagers picked up and what they missed we are no longer using them. Im not sure if they are looking into another pager system or if they have been eliminated completely for the time being.

[septicwad]

Originally Posted by JenniferM

Preliminary anecdotal information indicates that those who have eliminated these positions have brought them back because there is no one to track trends and staff get conditioned to shutting the pagers off w/o looking at the rhythm. However, I need some hard and fast facts that support this. Does anyone have any leads/ideas/suggestions?

Thank you for your time. J

I found a couple of articles that you may find useful.

Keep pace with step-down care Wendy J Berke, Margaret M Ecklunc. Nursing Management. Chicago: Feb 2002. Vol. 33, Iss. 2; pg. 26, 4 pgs

Arrhythmia detection and response in a monitoring technician and pocket paging system
Faye H Zwieg, Terry L Karfonta, Lee J Jeske, Cynthia R Kollauf, et al. Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing. Cleveland: Winter 1998. Vol. 13, Iss. 1; p. 16 (8 pages)