cardiac nursing from a distance (telemetry)

[djsmith]

Hi

Does anyone have experience as above? Because of a cardiac skill mix shortage we are looking at other options...support of emergency site staff watching in patient telemery in a small community hospital.

Any experience or advice would be helpful.

Debbie

[papawjohn]

Hey DJSmith

I am not sure what you're asking.

I once had a part time job in a little local hospital in Tenn where we in the "Acute Care Unit" watched the tele-monitors and were s'posed to call the nurse's station "out there" with rhythm information. They would call us, "what is so-and-so's heart rate?" and then they'd give him his digitalis. And that was cool until one day the alarm went off on the tele--which it was ALWAYS going off on the tele--and WHOA there was VTACH on the tele. I bolted out the door with 100mg of Lido in my hand and found that he didn't have IV access. It was the only time I've "mainlined" a drug---found an antecubital vein and without bothering to place an IV heplock--put the lido syringe into it and got a flashback and F**King SHOT IT. Amazingly enough, he converted!!! And got out of the hospital a week or two later.

Since then I've been a huge huge irrigator of INTs and very very compulsive about re-starting peripheral IVs. I think EVERYBODY in the hospital needs a current and patent IV Access.

And I also am really really uncomfortable at monitoring people that you cannot see or asses every shift. It was (as the Duke of Wellington said of his victory at the battle of Waterloo) "a damned close run thing."

So I hope you're not monitoring people who are on a different 'ward' or 'floor'.

Which makes you responsible for them without your being able to look at them or care for them. You should avoid that like you would avoid a blood exposure!!!

Yer Ol'

Papaw John

[passing thru]

So refreshing, PapawJohn to read about a nurse actually able to think on his/her feet ! and, make a decision ! !

What a lucky patient.

A hundred other nurses would have *****-footed around following "policy."

I'm behind you !

I've mainlined more than once ...

and , always with favorable results.

You gotta save the patients life, then stand back and allow the spectators to "tsk! tsk !"

[nurse4yourheart]

I used to work as a cna in a small community hospital that had approx 35 bed med/surg unit with a 4 bed ICU. Granted the patients in the icu were patients that would be on the floor where I work now. But in the event that the icu was open, the icu nurses would watch tele out on the floor. if the icu was not open, the er staff would. There were also tele screens at the nurses station and then at both ends of the hall so the nurses on the floor could also watch as well. It seemed to work well. But, the patients at this hospital were not what I would consider "Risky". Also, you can assume that the monitors were not constantly watched either as they are where I work. However, in the 2 years I worked there, nothing ever happened with the tele patients that the monitor not being constantly watched was an issue. If you would like more information, message me and I could give you the name of the hospital and some contact info. if you would like to know more.