Date of Award
8-2008
Document Type
Graduate Project
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
The twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) has been around for over a hundred years and is still an integral tool utilized in the healthcare field; yet heal th care providers have shown to have a lack of twelve-lead ECG interpretation skill. In fact, some nurse anesthesia programs do not teach twelve~lead ECG interpretation as a part of their cmTiculum. While nurse anesthetists typically view the patient's twelve-lead ECG as part of their preoperative assessment, adverse perioperative events may occur that would have othenvise been able to be predicted through accurate preoperative twelve-lead ECG interpretation. Although the twelve-lead ECG is not an absolute means for anticipating periopertive and postoperative adverse cardiac events, the information that is yielded through accurate interpretation is clinically significant for predicting such events .
Due to this educational gap, the purpose of this project \Vas to offer an educational workshop on twelve-lead ECG interpretation. The audience included first-year nurse anesthesia students from a Midwestern university nurse anesthesia program. The workshop incorporated concepts of heart anatomy and physiology, basic heart rhythms interpretation, waveform morphology, axis deviations, Q-T interval, bundle branch blocks, differentiating ventricular tachycardia from supraventricular tachycardia, and acute coronary syndromes into a PowerPoint presentation. The results of the workshop were based on before and after testing using four twelve-lead ECGs that have already been dictated upon by a cardiologist. A Likert scale was be used for the participants' general evaluation of the course. A ninety percent accuracy rate ·was hoped to be gained based on the after test by all audience members who participated in the workshop. It was expected that a better understanding will be gained tlu·ough participation in this project. Additionally, this workshop content has be given to the college of nursing, nurse anesthesia faculty for potential inclusion in the specializations curriculum
Recommended Citation
Conner, Christian, "Twelve-Lead Electrocardiogram Interpretation Workshop" (2008). Theses and Dissertations. 4619.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/4619