EKG strips!?! All I see are lines and stripes!!!

Specialties Cardiac

Published

Specializes in rehab.

Here is my problem guys...try not to laugh at my dumbness:eek:

After some time on an acute rehab floor, I've been wanting to move on to tele/cardiac nursing. I know ACLS certification is a necessity, some places mandatory. One problem: EKG strips scare the **** out of me! I look at all those rhythms and all I see are lines, mountains and valleys that all look the same to me. For the life of me I cannot grasp the whole concept of the QRST complex, the P waves, can't determine the rate, small square equals 0.4 sec...I think! It’s too much. I got a good ACLS book and was trying to read through, but it was so frustrating!!! I think I only managed to memorize how V tack looks like. I know I sound pretty stupid right now….I’m kind of hoping there is a nurse out there who once felt like me and was able to “get it “later on. Is there hope for me?!? Any advice on how to learn to interpretation EKG strips and ultimately the pharmacology involved in ACLS certification?

Thank you in advance.

Specializes in Cardiac-Tele.

When I was trying to learn EKG strips...I got a really good book called "EKG made easy". The book gives you lots of exercises to learn rhythm interpretation. I also spent some time with in our monitor room watching/interpreting strips. The more you do it, the easier it will become. Once you get the basic shapes of the rhythms, ACLS is not that hard. Memorize the 3 algorithms in the back of the ACLS workbook and it should not be that hard. The drugs will come with study and practice. Hope this helps!

Specializes in rehab.

Dearnursemel09,

Thankyou very much for the advice. I have that book already LOL. I think like you said i just have to keep practicing. I may need to sit with a monitor tech on a tele floor for a day or something.

Thanks again:specs:

Specializes in Cardiac-Tele.

Does where you work offer a Basic Arrythmia class? If they do and you haven't taken to class, you might want to do so. Once I learned the theory behind the complex, I understood it better. Good Luck!

Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.

I always recommend Dale Dubin's "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's" (it has a bright orange cover) for nurses learning EKG's. The book teaches you how to read strips and the physiology behind the different arrhythmias. It starts with the very basics and goes from there. It is an excellent resource. Good luck!

Dubin's books is the best I've read and it really breaks everything down for you to understand it. As far as learning EKG's the best advice I could give.

I used to study at Barnes, with Dubins book, and use EKG practice books from the store to test myself after each section of Dubins.

Second, I still just sit at the monitor desk and look at EKG's while chatting with the monitor tech. Gives you a good chance to test yourself and find out what you dont know so you can go back and read up on it.

Lastly, as for advice. More experience nurses can teach you tricks to differentiate on hard rhythms. So ask your fellow nurses, or monitor tech.

Specializes in rehab.

Thankyou very much for the advice. I'm going to study on my own for about 2 weeks?!!?...maybe? then enroll in a class and take the test. All within a month. Is this possible? Jmaverick101 you make me feel like I can just do this!!! thanks for the inspiration and advice!!!:yelclap:

Specializes in Staff nurse.

Look on http://www.youtube.com for ekg and acls videos. You will learn alot.

Learning EKG's was one of the hardest things for me when i first started. I would study and study and when i was beat i would study some more. I was so down on myself. Then i woke up one morning and it just made sense. That was it. The light switch just came on. Now I teach 12 lead classes and have actually been asked by Dr's to help teach there residents 12 leads. Trust me one day you will wake up and the light will be on. Another trick I have found was having people picture the heart in your head. When you see the waveform picture what that means in the heart. That tends to help some peopel. Hope I was of some help. Hang in there you can do it

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

It took me 6 weeks and I thought I'd fail out of the program that I had a 102% average in prior to EKG's - so, I get the frustration. My professor was one of the best in the country and I just could not get my head around it. And on a Sunday after church and dinner, sitting on the small sofa watching the snow fall about 4pm - it just started to make sense and soon I was giddy! No kidding!!!

My advice - take an EKG class. Start from the A/P, electrical conduction and pathways and the resulting traces that make the EKG. I've taught many and I have never had a student that could not "get it" with the right course, motivation and dedication.

Many places offer these classes and you will need to go into ACLS with the ability to recognize basis rhythms. Take the class - I always learn better when someone explains things to me.

Good Luck!

;)

Specializes in rehab.
It took me 6 weeks and I thought I'd fail out of the program that I had a 102% average in prior to EKG's - so, I get the frustration. My professor was one of the best in the country and I just could not get my head around it. And on a Sunday after church and dinner, sitting on the small sofa watching the snow fall about 4pm - it just started to make sense and soon I was giddy! No kidding!!!

My advice - take an EKG class. Start from the A/P, electrical conduction and pathways and the resulting traces that make the EKG. I've taught many and I have never had a student that could not "get it" with the right course, motivation and dedication.

Many places offer these classes and you will need to go into ACLS with the ability to recognize basis rhythms. Take the class - I always learn better when someone explains things to me.

Good Luck!

;)

Where are you located, do you still teach ? May I take your class?!

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