Basic EKG class teaching ideas?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Women's Health, Education.

Hey there educators...

I've been teaching basic EKG at our hospital 6 times a year for the last 2 years. I was lucky enough to inherit the class from my predecessor so the PPTs, quizzes, and final were up and running and I just needed to tweak accordingly to my teaching style. We use the Huff EKG workbook.

So far I have added youtube videos, skillstat.com, group work, students presenting slides up on screen, and a game (an EKG version of Pictionary). I get mostly good reviews, but at the end of every course, I get 2 or 3 "averages" on my class evaluations, with no suggestions for how to improve it in the comments section.

Am I missing something? Does anyone have an interesting take on how to teach this topic that some find dry? I'm thinking of bringing the crash cart that we use in ACLS class to practice cases, many are new hires or new grads and are fresh out of ACLS or about to start ACLS after EKG class.

Thoughts?

Thank you for any tips you have.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Relax. You are NEVER going to please everyone. There are always participants who really don't want to be there.... especially if it's a mandatory course to keep their job. Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job. Don't obsess on the stragglers.

In my organization, traditional arrhythmia classes are no longer available. Everything is self-directed & online. Individuals are expected to identify their own need & self-enroll but they are paid for time spent if arrhythmia interpretation is part of their normal job duties. Basic EKG has been included in RN nursing curriculum for quite a while now, so it is not categorized as a competency enhancement program.

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A lot of it is going to depend on your audience and your personality. I use different methods for each group I teach and change gears as soon as I get a read on the students in the room.

EKGs are for the most part boring but sometimes a little "Nancy Caroline" can be useful. Her way of explaining EKG to Paramedic students has become well known. You can easily change it around to adapt to football or just about any scenario to spice up an audience for a learning laugh if you have the personality to pull it off.

Nancy Caroline's Emergency Care in the Streets - American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), Nancy L. Caroline, Bob Elling, Mike Smith - Google Books

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