Pacemaker Patient

gwenith, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2003

There are a lot of pacemakers and until we know more we can't help you please tell us more.

Salpicovalentim · Jun 23, 2003

Thank's for your reply.

My question is how far are nurses involved in pacing. In other words: do nurses provide care for patients with a pacemaker already implanted, or other professionals do it?.

I'm interested to know in general if nurses provide care for patients with pacemaker after implant, and in which conditions.

e.g. patient education and or troubleshooting.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2003

Thank-you Eduardo our facility does not do open heart surgery so I caonot directly answer your question but I am sure that someone on this board can. Be patient most of the members live in North America and the board becomes more lively over the next couple of hours. Sometimes it happens that there is no-one logged on today who can answer you so check back in a couple of days.

By the Way - Welcome to the board!!

CCL"Babe", BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2003

In my experience, nurses do teach patients about their pacemakers. We teach about the procedure and the care afterwards. Often longterm followup pacemaker care is done by nurse practitioners and the patients cardiologist. IE testing/maintenance.

Currently, I only deal with temorary pacers put in during emergency procedures.

My department used to do the implantation as well. We just stopped doing it a year or so ago. The manufacturer's representative would come in for the implatation and would help the physician with the settings and interrogation. Where I work either a vascular surgeon or a cardiologist can implant pacemakers. Usually only the electrophyiology cardiology physicians implant pacers if it is a cardiologist. The procure is done as a same day procedure. Nurses are present to administer conscious sedation, prep the patient and assist the physician/scrubbing in. Post procedure the patient is sent for CXR and then to a same day procedure recovery unit.

Salpicovalentim · Jun 24, 2003

I do appreciate your comments.

In fact I have 13 years dealing with pacemaker patients, not as a nurse staff but as Manufacturer rep.

As I still be a nurse, I think that the field of pacing in general can be a huge opportunity for nursing in one side, but also would be a added value for the patient, as nurses can see (and care) the global patient.

However, at least in Portugal, I don't see nurses interested in this topic.

Cath Lab RN · Jun 25, 2003

I work in a cath lab,and we implant pacemakers. Post our pt.s are sent to the step down unit for over night monitoring. They are watched to see that their pace is sensing, pacing and capturing appropriately. From there they are sent home with follow up in the cardiologist office in 1 to 2 weeks.

Anagray, BSN · Jul 5, 2003

I'm not a nurse, but I work on a telemetry floor. We deal with pre and post cath patients, AICDs, pacers, as well as regular monitoring.

traumarn1 · Jul 7, 2003

I am currently a nurse in a cath lab where we implant devices, out care is pre-op and intra-op. Post procedure our patients will go to a tele floor for 23hr admit, monitor vitals, get in 1 or 2 more doses of IV antibiotics, give basic post-op instruction and the patient will have their device checked by the rep the morning after the procedure just prior to discharge to assure the device and leads all look good.

Salpicovalentim · Jul 7, 2003

Thank's for your input.

It seams that nurses are not involved in the long term care of these patients, living these tasks to the sales rep.

Do you think it would be better for the patint if nursing was involved in the long term care ?

gwenith, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2003

Asking a group of prejudiced people here - of course it would be better aren't nurses better than anyone else at what we do???

Salpicovalentim · Jul 7, 2003

So gwenith,

which do you think are the reasons for nurses not be involved the way you agree it should be?