Nursing Practice Standards

BrandyBSN · Jan 16, 2003

several hospitals that I know of dont required ACLS for tele nurses, which yes, i think is terrible, although not illegal. Only ICU and ER nurses HAVE to have ACLS, past us, it is just "recommended". they ARE required to take an EKG class yearly to review if working in ICU, ER, and Tele. guess it is better than nothing. We are doing TNCC next month for all the new grads, but we HAD to have ACLS within 6 months of hire.

WI-RN · Jan 16, 2003

BrandyBSN. I appreciate your reply, but the situation I'm describing is a 1 unit hospital within a hospital, in which not tele or ACLS certified nurses were on duty taking care of patients on Telemetry monitors that were to be monitored @ a central location (the nurses station desk), by these same uncertified nurses. These patients also receive a separate daily charge for telemetry monitoring. Regarding the nurse working the excessive 48.5 hours without sleep @ 3 different assignments, 2-12hr shifts were actually @ the same hospital, in which the DON actually scheduled these hours 1 week before the occurence, even though this employee had expressed previously her scheduling matrix & had explained that they didn't want the scheduling conflict. It was an understanding (both written & verbal) @ their time of hire, that these conflicts could not occur. Also the changes were made after the monthly schedule had been released. I brought both of these issues up to the administration, which the administration never rectified.

moonrose2u · Jan 16, 2003

on my tele unit we are all ekg and cc certified..but acls is an option, not requirement at this point..we are encouraged to take it, but it is not mandatory..

we do not have official monitor readers..the charge nurse is responsible, and whomever else that may be in the nurses station, to keep an eye out for the monitors...i am uncomforable with this, but this is the way the hospital does it...

jemb · Jan 16, 2003

Were the nurses familiar with reading the monitors and just didn't have "official papers"? (I learned to read strips long before I ever took a class and had the paper to prove it, although I was never in the circmstance you describe.) Any nurse who accepts an assignment for which he/she knows requires more knowledge or skills than he/she has, is putting the license on the line

and endangering the patient.

I'm sure JCAHO has its requirements telemetry units, and you could also check with your states BON for guidance.

If the patients are being billed for telemetry monitoring that was not being done, that amounts to fraudulent billing, and the facility could be in big trouble with Medicare and other insurers.

As for the nurse that worked so many hours -- We need to take responsibility for ourselves to see that we don't do that. You did said that the hours were not all at the same facility, didn't you? And the nurse was not kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to work the entire time? At multiple facilities?!

I would not want that nurse to take care of me -- at least not during that period of time!