Basic ECG Rhythms

Description

Does your job require being able to read an ECG rhythm strip? Ever wondered what those squiggly lines mean on a monitor? Basic ECG Rhythms focuses on building your skill to identify normal and abnormal rhythms. This 2-day class builds a foundation for basic ECG rhythm monitoring competence. Practical time is spent with students teaching rate and rhythm calculations to insure accurate learning. A pre-test and a competency post-test will be conducted to ensure learner accuracy. Clinicians who wish to strengthen their cardiac monitoring skills and those working in acute environments should investigate this course.

Student comments

  • Very concise course for a very overwhelming subject. By the end of the second day the material was much clearer and I feel like I can look at the tele monitor or EKG without feeling so overwhelmed!
  • I have learned a lot, great teacher, enjoyed the class.

Objectives

Upon completion of Basic ECG Rhythms, the learner will:

  • Discuss the structures that the coronary arterial and venous anatomy serve
  • Describe how myocardial oxygen supply is regulated in the body
  • Discuss normal cardiac cell impulse generation and propagation
  • Verbalize three types of ectopic pacemakers
  • Explain the differences between cardiac monitoring and a 12-lead ECG
  • Calculate the rate, rhythm, PR interval, and QRS interval for a sinus rhythm
  • Know the characteristics of various sinus rhythms
  • Discriminate between various atrial rhythms on a rhythm strip
    Know the characteristics of various junctional rhythms
  • Identify ventricular rhythms on a rhythm strip
  • Distinguish between first degree, second, and third degree AV blocks
  • Practice distinguishing common rhythms
  • Interpret common rhythms
  • Identify a bundle branch block in an ECG waveform
  • Discuss how the ECG waveform changes with ischemia, injury and infract in cardiac monitoring
  • Summarize the steps to a primary survey
  • Evaluate secondary survey techniques in the care of a client in cardiac arrest
  • Identify emergent ventricular rhythms requiring electrical intervention
  • Anticipate nursing measures utilized for clients who require external pacing
  • Correlate patient symptoms with common rhythms
  • Correlate common rhythms with proper immediate actions
  • Complete competency exam

Course Outline

  • Cardiac anatomy & physiology
  • Electrical conduction system
  • Leads and Monitoring
  • ECG Basics
  • Systematic approach to rhythm interpretation
  • Calculation, interpretation and discrimination of ECG rhythms
    • Sinus rhythms, Atrial rhythms, Junctional rhythms, & Ventricular rhythms
  • Practice & review of Sinus, Atrial, Junctional, and Ventricular Rhythms
  • AV Blocks & Pacemaker
  • Abnormalities in Monitoring
    • Right & Left Bundle Branch Blocks
    • Ischemia, Injury, & Infarct
  • ACLS Actions: Primary & Secondary Survey with ACLS pearls
  • Case study review and additional practice time
  • Pretest & competency posttest

Total Contact Hours:  12.0 

Speaker: Diane Paulson, MSN, RN

Acute Care Education Associates, Inc. is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Washington State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 

Email - Acute Care Education Associates, Inc. and we will send you more information!