CARDIO & EKG NURSE

[evathediva]

I am the kind of nurse that wants to have knowledge in everything that is going to allow me to be a great nurse. I only have my nursing lic at this time. Im registering for a EKG course, then plan to take the ACLS certification. Does anyone have any input on how to study for this course and have any advice when it comes to working in an environment where the pt is on a EKG? Any scary experiences that might help me be more careful? Also is the pay better when you are EKG certified? All input is much appreciated! Thanks ya'll!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I admire your initiative.

Just about all acute care facilities have a designated MedSurg tele unit, but they are also likely to have telemetry capability in other types of units also. Nurses caring for patients on continuous cardiac monitoring (telemetry) should have some knowledge about cardiac dysrhythmias. Tele units usually have full time monitor techs who watch a central screen with the rhythm tracings because there are none at the bedside, and the patient's nurse just doesn't have the time to stop and check rhythms on a regular basis. He has to rely on the tech for information about any problems. Nurses in ICU step-down units may have additional direct responsibilities for monitored patients, including monitoring and analyzing rhythms for their patients.

If a patient is on telemetry in an area/dept that doesn't generally care for these types of patients, they will generally schedule a regular cv assessment by a nurse with these skills. For instance, meds used to prevent/manage pre-term labor can cause CV issues, so some ante-partum patients may have telemetry so a tele nurse will be scheduled to assess the patient's CV status every 4 hours because this is not part of the required competency for OB nurses.

Codes in non-ICU settings - are most commonly managed by a specialized team who take over resuscitation efforts after BLS is started by the patient's assigned nurse/department. If a job requires cardiac rhythm analysis, the employer has processes to train & assess competency for anyone who is hired into those jobs.