Tele strips in ICU

[Jaenic]

Help from ICU Nurses: I'm in the process of revising policies and I need some input. How often do you print tele strips for ICU patients? Thanks in advance

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

We print one anytime there is a change in the rhythm. Otherwise, we print it once per 24 hour period. We used to do it every 4 hrs, but not anymore. We ICU nurses monitor the telemetry patients for the floors, plus our own ICU patients. We don't have a designated person to watch the monitors, so an RN is always eyeballing the rhythms anyway. We will get a 12 lead to back up any rhythm change or ectopy the doctors need to see.

[Jaenic]

Thank you. Is there anywhere I can find evidence of a standard for this? Also how big is your ICU? And how big is your tele unit?

[Ddestiny, BSN, RN]

I work in a 16 bed ICU. We print our strips once per shift (1000 and 2200). We monitor our own patients but PCU and floor patients on tele monitors are watched by a monitor tech.

[smf0903]

WE print Q4h and with any change. We chart rhythms every Q2h but don't print the one between the four hour strip. We're a 10-bed unit. Regular telemetry out of the ICU is centrally monitored.

[Greenclip]

Upon admission and once per shift. We are also supposed to do it if the patient has been off the unit for more than 2 hours (for example, coming back from surgery).

[NPOaftermidnight, MSN, RN, NP]

Every 8 hours

[CCU BSN RN]

q12h and any arrhythmias/rhythm changes, although my colleagues generally suck at printing any strips but their scheduled once per shift. Sucks when the cardiologist or EP doc comes in and wants to see the pause or VT arrest and since it was >24h ago, and wasn't printed to be scanned into the chart, it's just gone and they wind up staying in ICU a few more days until they do it again.

[Mini2544, ASN, RN]

I am on a neuro ICU and we print q4 and if we get a new admission etc, or at least we try to. I honestly don't really see the point of printing that often though. Unless we have a change in rate/rhythm it seems like alot of redundant busy work. Patients are always on monitor and if need be than someone can go back and print the strip in question.