A Tad Bit Sad

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I took my EKG test for telemetry and missed some STUPID ones!! I have to take it again in a few weeks. Basically, I decided at the last minute to take the test when I should have taken a few more days to review it again after being away from it a few weeks with the JCAHO madness. Had I done that, I would have reviewed the heart blocks again and the junctional rhythms a bit more.

What annoyed me was that there was a diagram of the heart, and it had numbers asking what part was what, but, it was pointing at areas where the SA node, AV node, HIS bundle and Purkinjie Fibers would have been located, and what they wanted to know was the bicuspid, tricuspid, septum and a few other things. I also missed premature junctional contraction, the capture for a pacemaker, and got Mobitz 1 and 2 mixed up. I caught all of the dangerous rhythms such as supraventricular tachycardia, v-tach, v-fib, bigeminy, multifocal PVCs, asystole, PVC, and a few others. The woman did tell me that she wanted for me to make arrangements with the nursing administrator of med-surg to actually learn how the monitors work and she would then give me the same exam again. She even gave me the answers. What I did mention, though in a tactful way was that I would not have known that they wanted to know specifically about the structure of the heart, I would have expected that they wanted me to know where the SA, etc...was located. So, instead of getting about 4 wrong, with that stupid diagram, she counted it as 8.

I do know, though, that knowing those rhythms ARE important, so, I have to go off and review again. At least, she is giving me a chance to actually see what is happening in telemetry and to take the exact same one again. I'll be okay...just a slightly bruised ego, and I really want to make use of my EKG class.:cry:

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

i'm sorry to hear that. i hate doing poorly on tests, especially when i feel as if i should have known the easy answers i've missed.

now i guess you know what to focus on when you take it again, if you're able to.

:hgu:

jess

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

I did the same thing last week with ACLS, I did not prepare and made a stupid mistake. We have so much on our plates right now that it is hard to prioritize.

Bruised egos suck, but the thing about making a stupid mistake once and acknowledging it is that odds are you will never make it again.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

What is bothering me is that the actual strips themselves may not be much of an issue, because I remember those (she plans to give me the same exam again), but it is the heart diagram that I don't have clearly in my head, so to speak, so, I have to get out a textbook and go over it. My EKG book won't be of help, really, because it will more or less go over what I already know...the SA node, AV, bundle of His, etc...

But, I will make it happen, this is a great per diem opportunity that will allow me to get those skills to work after taking that class.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I'm sorry to hear that. You can do it, though. I'm sure you'll do great the next time around.

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

I work Telemetry and had to be certified in BLS with included reading and identifying the strips. I had to take the test two times. You can do it! Good luck.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I pray that it does, because I really wanted to get the experience, and I do really like interpeting EKGs.

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pagan, i never have any doubts about you...

whether it's an issue in your professional or personal life.

you're ahead of the game, in so many ways.

you're going to be just fine...

i promise you. :icon_hug:

leslie

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

You knock it asystole next time ;)

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
pagan, i never have any doubts about you...

whether it's an issue in your professional or personal life.

you're ahead of the game, in so many ways.

you're going to be just fine...

i promise you. :icon_hug:

leslie

Thanks for your faith in me!

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Check out this Youtube video on "Diagnosis Wenkebach". You will remember Mobitz One forever.

Have fun!

Oldiebutgoodie

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Sounds like you were the victim of a poorly constructed test... at least on the diagram part. I recently took a ECG course and we had to label what you noted - SA node, AV node, etc but not the valves. Sounds like you know what you need to know and now just have to jump through a hoop by taking the test again. Now being aware of what anatomy is being tested on, you'll ace it. Hugs!

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