[ummwhome]

I have been a MS RN for 3 years and I want to advance my career. I assume the first step is to become Tele certified and then ACLS. Anyone care to comment on taking that first step, please do. I work on a CNS/ Neuro Surg floor at this time. We do have pts on tele and a screen showing rhythms and I study it all day. I have taken a course called "Basic Arrythmias", is that all I need to work on a Tele floor. Do I need a EKG course? Do I need ACLS? anyone with an insight before I take the plunge??

[dianah]

My advice is to seek the opinions of the nurses or telemetry monitoring staff who work on tele floor, and/or of their Nurse Manager.
You will get much more specific and useful information for that particular unit.
Policies may vary from facility to facility.

Good luck!

[al7139]

Hello!
I am an RN who just graduated 10 months ago. I work on a tele unit. I was hired right out of school (actually before I graduated, since I did clinicals there and interviewed during that time).
Really, you don't need alot of fancy training to work on a tele unit. I spent three days in a class to learn the basics of telemetry analysis (normal, abnormal, emergent). I am BLS certified, although I plan on becoming ACLS certified this year. You are not required (at least in my hospital) to be ACLS certified to work tele.
I will admit it can be intimidating at first, since you will be learning even after you start taking patients. I am lucky that my preceptors were great, and the staff on a whole are available if I have questions. Also, I made sure to get to know the tele monitors, and if I see something "wierd" I call them and get their opinion since they are the real experts.
You will be trained to get EKG's and you will learn the protocols to follow for chest pain, etc.
In my opinion, it's been a great learning experience for me so far (I still have so much to learn!), but it is also experience that will be so important no matter what I decide to do in the future.
I hope you decide to go for it!
Amy

[pipersjo]

In my experience, it is unusual NOT to be ACLS certified on a tele floor. I have been working tele(my first nursing job) for about a year and I am not certified, but that is because I just switched jobs and my first job wanted us to wait awhile and learn to be a nurse before becoming ACLS certified. I do agree with dianah-- check with nurses and managers in your hospital for policies and all of that because every facility is different.