how to tell P wave from T wave on EKG?

Nurses General Nursing

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Good morning all,

Taking a very intense program to transition to the RN role in the next 6 weeks and a big part of this is EKG. We did cover some of this in school but not extensively and it may sound funny but I am having a hard time differing between P waves and T waves on the EKG. I see where the normal placement is for the P wave but sometimes they come early, etc and I often see P waves when there aren't any. Googling hasn't helped much.

Any suggestions for distinguishing what the true p waves are??

Thanks,

Heather

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

The "P" wave is before the "QRS" the "T" wave is after the "QRS"

This is a great site.....Online 12-lead ECG Course Tutorial - Basics | Learntheheart.com

ECGpedia

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

If you are talking heart blocks they are different.....

[h=3]Heart Blocks - Notes on ICU Nursing[/h]

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Specializes in Emergency, pediatrics.

Talking from the conductive stand point, P is before the QRS and a T is after the QRS. P is atrial contraction, QRS is ventricle contraction, and T is ventricle refilling. Therefore P's are smaller since atriums are smaller and the QRS/T waves are larger since ventricles are larger. The only u don't see is atrial refilling since it's "hidden in the back of the QRS because a QRS has a stronger contraction.

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Thank you to all, love the heart block poem and the website suggestion plus general input. Much appreciated!

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Try this book, it's is like magic ! After reading you will feel good about EKGs

Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition:Amazon:Books

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Honestly, because I was cross-trained as a cardiac monitor tech while working as a CNA during nursing school, I personally think one of the best ways to get comfortable and commit rhythms to memory is to take a ECG book and just go through and do all the strips. (after reading it of course) Expect some backtracking with applying the book strips to "live" strips running across the monitor. Now I can pretty much glance at a running rhythm and know what it is and I do not consider myself a cardiac nurse! Good luck!

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