Cardiac strips

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Specializes in rehab.

Maybe this is the wrong place, and sorry if it is.

But recently my unit gave an online learning module for cardiac strips. Now cardiac has always been my weakest point, I know the big ones. But bundle branch blocks, different degrees of heart block (not that I'm saying these don't matter or anything). I don't know these, no matter how hard I tried.

Anyways since I work on a rehab unit we never see these strips so I of course failed several times, though another nurse did too.

Anyways what I was wondering was where can I become better at it? I would like to move to more acute units and I think it would be important to know.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

"Rapid Interpretations of EKGs" by Dale Dubin is the book that our ACLS instructor recommends. --starts out very basic, written at 11th-12th grade level so should be an easy read.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
"Rapid Interpretations of EKGs" by Dale Dubin is the book that our ACLS instructor recommends. --starts out very basic, written at 11th-12th grade level so should be an easy read.

No doubt! When I was a new nurse, I loved that one!!

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in critical care/emergency departement.
"Rapid Interpretations of EKGs" by Dale Dubin is the book that our ACLS instructor recommends. --starts out very basic, written at 11th-12th grade level so should be an easy read.

I absolutely agree with you!

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a couple of great sites:

www.practicalclinicalskills.com

www.skillstat.com

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Good recommendations. :)

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It's true what they say, if you don't use it, you lose it. Knowing the basics could be the step up you need to get into more acute units. Once in a unit, you would gain the practical experience of reading the EKG strips.

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It's important to know, but the MOST important thing is to be able to recognize a change. It's good that you're eager to learn more, but don't worry too much in the mean time. If something looks different, go assess you patient, then call over someone with more experience to get another opinion.

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Specializes in rehab.

Thank you everyone for your replies. My dad has that rapid ekg book so I'm going to look at that. And the sites look wonderful

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

if you look at www.skillstat.com please confirm whether or not they updated their ACLS skills. The rhythms won't change of course, but how you respond to them in code may have, and the last I looked they had not updated to meet AHA guidelines.

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