Branching Exercise: Cardiac Case 1: 63 Year Old Female
Branching Exercise: Cardiac Case 1: 63 Year Old Female
Week 2: 12-lead EKG Interpretation and Diagnostic Evaluation of Arrhythmias
Much like problems with a home’s heating and cooling system, arrhythmias begin with symptoms that often require expertise to diagnose. The symptoms of arrhythmias are routinely among the leading reasons for emergency room visits. Palpitations, racing hearts, anxiety, irregular heartbeats, and chest pain often alert sufferers to the potential for bigger problems. This puts cardiology squarely in the spotlight as the branch of medicine responsible for addressing not only arrythmias but the many cardiac and circulatory disorders that afflict so many each year.
As an advanced practice nurse, you must be prepared to effectively recognize, respond, diagnose, and treat these symptoms. Hence, it is important for nurses at every level of care to demonstrate expertise in heart arrhythmias as a component of cardiovascular care.
This week, you examine issues pertinent to arrhythmias. You examine diagnosis and management approaches to heart rhythm issues and the health problems that may trigger them. You also examine the tools used to help recognize and respond to these issues.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Interpret 12-lead EKGs
- Discern arrhythmias within 12-lead EKGs
- Develop appropriate treatment plans, including diagnostics and laboratory orders for patients with identified arrhythmias