ACLS+ EKG Certification?

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Specializes in Emergency.

Hello, I'm a new nurse, been working for about six months now. The floor I work on at work is temporarily closed for some reason or other, so I have been floating around the hospital wherever they can use a med/surg nurse. However, because my floor is closed, we sometimes run into an overstaffing problem and I am called off before I leave home or sent home early from time to time.

A couple of questions. My manager says that they are short Tele nurses, so if I get an EKG certification, I will be called off less. COOL! I'm all FOR that, and I don't think I'd mind tele at all. Does anyone know of a tele course offered around the San Diego County area? My work offers one but it's a month long for a few hours every week, I'd rather knock it out all at once.

Second. I do have ACLS, is it a normal thing that my hospital requires both EKG and ACLS. I thought ACLS would clear you to work tele, but again, I am new and don't know how it works everywhere or what's supposed to happen.

Thanks for any info.

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EKG delves more into how to recognize/spot the rhythms, which is vital for Tele. So, in addition to the ACLS (think of it as an advanced BLS/CPR), the EKG should help you out for when you work on a Tele floor.

Good luck finding a class! Not from SD area, so I wouldn't know any classes.

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An EKG class will go over more specific heart rhythm stuff that you will need to know on a tele unit. ACLS mainly reviews rhythms that need an immediate intervention. My EKG course was pretty heavy on pacemaker stuff, including reading pacer strips. In my opinion both are pretty important.

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any EKG Certification in San Fernando Valley? Please let me know. Thanks!

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