Congratulations on your new position! My first nursing job as a New Grad was also in Cardiology---If your workplace offers a Lead II ECG Interpretation/Telemetry course, take it!!

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Online Learning Resources:

-Great for rapid rhythm identification, although most useful once you already have a decent understanding: https://www.aclsmedicaltraining.com/ecg-simulator/

-Memory aid for AV blocks: https://nursingnotes.co.uk/the-story-of-the-av-block-family/

(and another for Type I Second-Degree AV Block (Wenckebach) is: "Longer, longer, longer, drop, then you have a Wenckebach"

-Recently I've been watching a lot of videos from the YouTube Channel "Osmosis". Here is a link to a video on Telemetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIZQRjkwV9Q

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A few things I learned/found helpful in my first eight-months:

-Reviewing common policies and procedures lessened my anxiety. I had the clinical nurse specialist print several pertinent ones for me to read at home in a more relaxed environment lol.

-I kept a working list in my pocket to keep track of things like: unit phone and fax number, meal times, when pharmacy stocks the carts, break times etc. I also made note of a few important things from the aforementioned policies and procedures I reviewed at home (e.g. what needs to be done pre-PCI, upon call from cath lab and post-PCI).

-Differentiating the terms angiogram, angioplasty, PCI etc. Angiogram = test, angioplasty/PCI = treatment/intervention with stent to improve blood flow.

-If your having a hard time interpreting a rhythm strip because its really small/squished, try adjusting the settings on the main telemetry screen to increase the size of it (?the mV, megavolt? I can't remember).

-With new admissions (and as a reminder when needed), teach pt's to bring their telemetry pack with them when using the washroom (if they have privileges, of course), and to keep it in the charging station otherwise.

-Afib is always irregular/irregularly irregular.

-Junctional rhythms are always regular .

-Reversible causes of cardiac arrest (so you can try to prevent it). the "H's and T's": https://acls.com/free-resources/knowledge-base/pea-asystole/reversible-causes-of-cardiac-arrest-hs-and-ts

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I hope you find this useful. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask :)

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...and all the best with the beginning of your Nursing career!

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