Dysrhythmia management content in ADN and BSN curricula

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cardiovascular Nursing
• Healthcare Competencies

Background:

• Dysrhythmia management is a critical skill for registered nurses.
• Ensuring consistent competency training across nursing programs is essential for patient safety.
• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs represent different educational pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare nurse educators' perceptions of the importance of dysrhythmia management competencies for ADN and BSN graduates.
• To compare the dysrhythmia management content taught in ADN and BSN programs.
• To assess the alignment between perceived importance and curriculum content.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, nonexperimental research design.
• Mailed survey distributed to nurse educators in Illinois and Iowa.
• Comparison of perceptions and content across ADN and BSN programs.

Main Results:

• A 58.2% response rate was achieved with 33 ADN and 24 BSN programs participating.
• Nurse educators from both ADN and BSN programs perceived selected dysrhythmia management content as important.
• Dysrhythmia management content is currently being provided in both ADN and BSN programs.

Conclusions:

• New nursing graduates from both ADN and BSN programs receive essential dysrhythmia management education.
• Healthcare institutions can be assured of a baseline level of dysrhythmia management knowledge in new graduates.
• Further expertise in dysrhythmia management can be built upon this foundational education.